All
Just as a point of interest, I have learned that Sylvan is releasing a 300’ container ship in HO scale late next year. I have included a photo of the ship that Sylvan is modeling.
http://www.wellandcanal.ca/salties/m/manchestermercurio/mercurio.htm
Muy interesante. (After all, the ship does fly the Spanish flag…)
At three hundred feet, she’ll still be about 41 inches long - and that’s small for a containership. Proving once again that, when seagoing ships are involved, the models go from big to humongous.
How humongous? Well, to scratch-build a post-Panamax containership, you can start with a fourteen foot square-stern aluminum canoe…
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with waters navigable by kayakers with death wishes)
Would that be a Great Lakes container ship?
It’s a containership that can pass through the Welland Canal to reach ports on the Upper Great Lakes - but I would assume that a Spanish-flag ship is probably oceangoing. I’ll readily admit that I wouldn’t want to be aboard if she was crossing the North Atlantic during the winter…
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
There are several smalller container ship companies that dot the Miami River and serve the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bahamas and several of the smaller islands.
On the photo, check the Welland Canal Archive button on the lower left to see what container ships are cruising the canal and coming into the Great Lakes, their registery and ownership. No wonder the Great Lakes are alive with various invasive species.
I have included a link showing the Antillean Shipping Company on the Miami River that services the above mentioned islands and Central America.
With an almost non-existent free-board I do’t think I would want to ship out on this vessel other than perhaps a trip up the Mississippi.
The vessels configuation has her looking more like a Baltic trader or one of those banged up little freighters that chug around the Pacific Islands.
Sylvian may be prepared to advise what prototype they used to reference their model.
Bruce[:)]
Don’t look now, but that is a photo of the prototype.
Note also that the lettering on her side is partially submerged. That’s what happens when a salt-water ship ventures into fresh water. Either my eyesight has failed completely or the major part of her Plimsoll markings are also submerged. Incidentally, the highest Plimsoll line, synonymous with the lowest freeboard, is FW - fresh water. (Even though the Great Lakes can kick up waves that an ocean can’t even imagine except where it impacts the shore!)
Chuck (Long ago Merchant Marine cadet who aced his naval architecture course, modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I was thinking more that perhaps Sylvian may have more detailed written information regrading this vessel, its ownership and where she operates. I made a Google search; here is the result of my search: http://iancoombe.tripod.com/id2.html
In
Here is a thread about similar ships at Port Panama City, FL.
http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/151200/1672543.aspx#1672543
Here are a couple of more websites about Manchester Liners.
Nice photo. The manchester mercurio photograph shows a lot of freeboard when empty. This is a better picture of the Mercurio empty than the Sylvan photograph. It was loaded pretty heavy in that photo. A lot will depend on how they model it; obviously it will be water line, but water line empty or loaded will be the question.
Hi ffrom Belgium,
Well I live in Belgium, we have a seaside just a few miles from the channel, and beleive me in winter the storm are heavy and we have all around the year a wind of 5 to 6 “beaufort” power, in winter it increase often around 8 to 9 with waves of four to five meters, that’s the nord sea.
A lot of this type of ship are traveling in these water and even with this low freeboard they travel on this sea without any problems.
With a couple of friend with often sail on these water with small yacht and we don’t see any problems with these cargo.
We have often felt that the big containers ship were not so happy to travel in these windy country because of the power of wind against the huge column of containers.
Marc
Marc,
I have to agree with you. I think it would be difficult to maintain course and speed while trying to navigate narrow channels in strong cross winds. The ship linked below is of such size. This Sylvan model while small, has a superstructure that can be updated.
I’m not sure why they went with an older ship that was built in 1978 unless it was because it is still sailing and can be used with 70’s through present day layouts. According to Sylvan’s president, the N gauge model will be released late this year.
If you ever get up close to one of these ships you won’t think they are that small. I was crusing around the 1000 Islands area in a 26’ long boat with some friends a few weeks ago and we got up close to one coming out of the St. Lawrence Seaway. These things are HUGE. I see them all the time in Lake Ontario but they are miles away from me but to be 20’ away they are very intimidating.