What Are Single Point Moorings?
2017-Sep-25
Miami Bridge Collapse and Professional Engineers
2018-Mar-26
I confess. I get excited about ships. They show amazing complexity and materialize to answer so many unique industrial needs. Imagine my joy when I came across this little gem on Amazon.com: Superships
The show is from 2007, so it misses some of the most recent achievements. But if you want an exposure to all the amazing types of ships that humans created, this is a good place to start. Available for free streaming if you have Amazon Prime.
Explore the incredible, extreme engineering at the heart of the worlds largest ships, from double-hulled supertankers to the largest sailing boats, the greatest heavy lift vessels to a collossal floating oil-rig. Each episode offers a close up look into the operation, design, and physics of how a special ship operates, from a couple of very remarkable ferries, to science vessels, to a supertanker.
Thirteen Full Episodes
1. Launching a Big Fat Greek Supertanker
Check out the world’s largest double-hulled oil tanker under construction. As hundreds of workers assemble the massive ship over a 12-month period, the inner workings of the ship come to light.
2. Ulysses the Giant People Mover
Crossing the Irish sea in mid-winter the world’s largest car ferry battles through a gale force wind and 10 metre seas. 3-D animation explains the advanced design that allows a shallow draught vessel to carry up to 1,300 cars and 2,000 people.
3. Jet Propelled Super Cat
The Cat is a super fast car ferry which races across the Gulf of Maine at speeds in excess of 90 kilometers an hour. Get to know this catamaran’s unique aluminum hull construction and water jet propulsion system.
4. The Magnificent Royal Clipper
The biggest sailing ship in the world; a five-masted square rigged clipper ship transporting 200 excited passengers on a seven day cruise on the Caribbean Sea. Explore secrets of the amazing sail handling system and the silent mechanical systems.
5. A Cruise For Pleasure Boats
This amazing ship crosses the oceans of the world while piggybacking racing and pleasure yachts on behalf of owners and operators who lack the time or skills to do their own long distance cruising. See how this ship can even sink and refloat itself!
6. Revolutionary Ships Design
Kilo Moana is a research vessel which boasts amazing hull technology to keep itself stable in the stormy Hawaiian Sea. Scientists conduct tests that will help our understanding of the effect of deep ocean currents on marine life and global warming.
7. Black Gold, Dark Waters
The World’s largest self-propelled, semi-submersible, all weather oil drilling rig leaves Halifax Harbour on it’s first voyage to test its sea worthiness and oil drilling systems in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic, 300 kilometers from shore.
8. The Shanghai Express
On a voyage from Rotterdam to Hamburg, the world’s biggest container ship is examined in detail, especially for it’s notable cargo handling methods, a true ballet of boxes. See the advanced technology behind the rapid transport of such vast cargoes.
9. High Seas Muscle Ship
Hauling a huge section of an offshore drilling platform from Korea to the Gulf of Mexico is the immensely difficult task of the Mighty Servant. Loading and maneuvering the massive unit calls for a smooth sea, a steady hand, and a great deal of power.
10. Deep Sea Cable Guys
When an undersea cable breaks, millions of communication pathways are shut down. The Cable Ship, Atlantic Guardian, which is on 24 hour stand-by in Baltimore, Maryland, demonstrates how quickly it can search for and repair these important cables.
11. The Land Maker
The world’s largest Dredger can suck up sand and transport it in one smooth, powerful operation. In Singapore, this amazing ocean going apparatus is shown as it goes through its paces and we see the parts and means that are normally hidden from view.
12. The American Queen
The largest Sternwheeler ever built plies its trade on the Mississippi River, complete with old fashioned tunes and riverboat gamblers. It’s steam powered engine gets a close up look along with its many decks and shallow draught construction.
13. Top Ten Superships
See how the Superships stack up against one another in this top ten countdown! Who will be the mightiest piece of technology on the sea
