April 23, 2011

Nice Boat


Ohboy! Do I get 2 have fun now?
No...
I mean really...a boat that is nice.
Nice and big.
'Big'...in this case doesn't do it justice though.

Behold the Kagyua.


Up to 10,000 passengers pierside, 8400 at sea.
I'm not at all sure how serious a proposal this is. I am absolutely sure it is awesome.

As a cruise ship it seems at first blush too large to be practical. For instance, if it shows up in the Caymans the Caymans would be overrun. However,  in SE Asia it might have a niche.

The size of the vessel has other possibilities for development.  The sheer number of passengers (~11 times that of the largest airliner) is intriguing. Despite its slow speed (20 kts) on short runs between Japan, China, the Philippines and S.E. Asia, this might conceivably compete respectably with airlines through volume of tickets and greater fuel efficiency per passenger, especially given the current skyrocketing cost of fuel. If the proportion of second class passengers was increased those numbers would only be improved.  

While this is too slow to be an effective transatlantic liner, a developed version given the ability to do 30-35 knots (like the old SS United States) would cross the Atlantic in 4-5 days and reach Toulon or Naples in 5-6.  On the Atlantic route, the efficiency perk would be complimented by the ships relative immunity to volcanic ash, especially given that Icelands volcanoes may be heading into a period of increased activity like was experienced in the 18th century.

Notwithstanding such speculations it is really cool to see someone thinking this big.


Awesomness...

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