Credit: Stephane Vetter (Nuits sacrees) via APOD.NASA.GOV

Aurora are a frequent visitor to the dark skies in the high northern and southern latitudes. The winter skies in Alaska, Norway, Iceland, and Siberia experience aurora borealis, whereas down above the opposite hemisphere in Antarctica and far southern New Zealand are found the aurora australis. In the long, cold winter months of both hemipsheres, skies erupt with glimmering curtains of colorful light.

What causes aurora? Why are some of them green, some blue/yellow, and some red? Which are the most common, and which are rare? How come some places see them and some don’t, except under very unusual circumstances? When and where are the best times to see them? Let’s dig into auroras and find out.

Aurora are the result of high-energy charged particles bombarding and reacting with atoms in our upper atmosphere (specifically the ionosphere) at elevations ranging from 100-400 km (60-250 miles). These particles stream out from the sun constantly as what is known as “solar wind.” During periods of heightened solar activity called “coronal mass ejections” (CMEs or solar storms), the solar wind blows a tempest, hurling giant waves of charged particles larger than the Earth itself. The polar regions catch the brunt of the solar winds due to the converging lines of the earth’s magnetic field at the poles.

Travelling at around 1,400 miles per second, the solar wind smashes into nitrogen and oxygen atoms, causing them to convert the energy of the collisions into light, shedding photons which we see as aurora. Oxygen atoms emitting photons have a yellow-to-green tint, whereas nitrogen atoms create blue light if the atoms re-capture the electrons after ionization, and red if it returns to a normal, grounded state.

If we had neon atoms in our upper atmosphere, we would have orange auroras. Light elements such as hydrogen and helium from blue and purple auroras, but our eyes cannot typically perceive these colors against the dark night sky. The reddish ionoshpere aurora are rarest, forming when oxygen atoms at 400 km above the earth shed light.

Think of the different colored aurora like different neon lights in a store window sign. Those lights work by sending high voltage electricity (electrons) through a glass vacuum tube filled with atoms of specific elements. Each element, when energized by the electricity, lets off light of a different color. So when you see “live nude girls” on your way into a strip club in Vegas and each word is a separate color, you know that each one of the tubes that forms the letters of each word has a different element inside of it.

Earth just suffered through a fairly intense solar storm the week before last. During what was the largest solar storm in 7 years, magnificent auroras were seen by skywatchers in places that are known for  auroral displays such as Norway, Iceland, and Alaska. What was unusual however, was that that aurora were observed as far south as New York.

Auroras are typically found within 10-20 degrees of latitude from the earth’s poles. During solar storms, like the one we experienced last week, the electromagnetic effects reach much father south (or north in the case of aurora australis) as the intense solar wind showers the lower regions with charged ions and protons that flock to the magnetic flux lines which emanate from the poles.

CMEs cause more than just auroras in unusual locations. Satellites have to be re-positioned and powered down to protect sensitive on-board electronics. High-frequency radio communication is disrupted,and airlines re-route flights that typically traverse the earth’s north pole in an effort to both protect sensitive radio equipment on their jetliners, and also to reduce the amount of potentially cancer-causing radiation experienced by crew and passengers.

Solar Coronal Mass Ejections, from NASA.gov

Our sun averages around 2,000 solar storms in every 11-year long solar cycle. These cycles are measured by observations of sunspots, which are regions of the sun where magnetic activity erupts and disturbs the photosphere of the sun, showering earth with aurora-causing ions. Single CME events can shoot jets of plasma four or more hundred thousand miles from the sun.

The solar cycle was first discovered by Samuel Heinrich Schwabe in 1843. In 1859 during what is now called the Carrington event, a solar flare erupted on September 1st, which interrupted telegraph service, and caused auroras as far south as Cuba and Hawai`i. In the early 2000s, the sun has been experiencing what is known as deep solar minimum, with no visible sunspots on approximately 73% of the days in 2008. We are now ramping back up into the highest part of a solar maximum, as evidenced by the storm we saw in late January.

Solar cycles have been used as evidence for and against man-made climate change by both sides of the argument. Observations do show that the global average temperature can rise as much as 0.1 degree C as a direct result of solar variability. If you want to learn more about the solar cycle / climate link, start with this informative article over at Science Daily.

Click here to view the embedded video.

At least, until you see this one, which is even more mind-bending, and gives a great perspective on the sheer scale of auroras.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Other than flying to Reykjavik, northern Canada and Alaska are also good locations to go aurora hunting. Target your trips for the winter months if you head north, since the nights are long. Since we are in a solar maximum for the next year or so, conditions are ripe for auroras. Just don’t count on your GPS or Sat phone to save you if you take it deep into the dark backcountry – these communications tend to be the first to break down during intense aurora-causing solar storms. If you salivate for auroroa photos, check out the work of Terje Sørgjerd, Kiddi Krisjians, and Ole Salomonsen - they are all masterful aurora shooters. Happy hunting!

About the Author:

Truckee, CA-based, Hawai’i-born Grant Kaye creates colorful, vibrant, and evocative photographs that bring the viewer into the special landscapes he seeks out. In addition to being a passionate photographer, Kaye skis and hikes as often as he can. His professional background is in geology, volcanic hazards, and GIS/cartography. grantkaye.com

Some of you may remember a cartoon which appeared during World War I, a drawing showing an inquisitive stranger talking with the gateman at a railway crossing. The gate was painted with the usual black and white stripes, and lying on the river beyond the tracks was a steamer painted with similar markings. The stranger asked, “Why do they paint the stripes on the gate?” And the gateman answered, “Oh, that’s to make them more visible.”

And then the stranger asked, “Well, why do they paint the stripes on the vessel out there?” And the gateman replied, “Oh, that’s to make the ship less visible.”

-Everett Warner [paraphrased from his lecture notes]

A ships in costume, gCaptain brings you Razzle Dazzle; history’s most unusually painted ship. What is Razzle Dazzle? GoTouring.com tells us;

During World War I, the British and Americans faced a serious threat from German U-boats. All attempts to camouflage ships at sea had failed, as the appearance of the sea and sky are always changing.  Any color scheme that was concealing in one situation was conspicuous in others. A British artist and naval officer, Norman Wilkinson, promoted a new camouflage scheme that was derived from the artistic fashions of the time, particularly cubism. Instead of trying to conceal the ship, it simply broke up its lines and made it more difficult for the U-boat captain to determine the ship’s course. The British called this camouflage scheme “Dazzle Painting.” The Americans called it “Razzle Dazzle.”

Artists were enlisted to draw up the camouflage designs. Early in the war, designs were drawn for individual ships, with each ship having its own distinctive pattern. As the war progressed, standard patterns were devised and applied to large numbers of ships. Even the great passenger liners were camouflaged for the duration of the War.

It is unfortunate that there are no color photographs of these WWI ships. People who witnessed convoys of dazzle painted ships reported that the scene was quite dramatic. Imagine sailing across the North Atlantic surrounded by dozens of brightly painted ships, each in different colors and patterns. If you compare the colored drawing with the black and white photograph of the ship “War Clover”, you can get an idea of how much we are missing. Read More…

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The problem confronting a submarine, once his prey has been sighted, resolves itself solely into estimating course and speed of the target, in order to determine how the approach to torpedo fire position should be made. The “dazzle” system of painting is based on this one consideration and that is, of rendering the problem confronting a submarine more difficult, confusing him as to how his approach shall be made and thereby adding in some degree to the safety of the vessel attacked.

U.S. Admiral William S. Sims (1917)

Camopedia has this amazing information on the World War I design team assigned to the project;

ONE METHOD camoufleurs might have used (but did not, apparently) to generate a large number of unique dazzle schemes is the stencil method.

It is indebted to American artist Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849-1921), sometimes called “the father of camouflage,” who (circa 1909) devised a clever, easy way for individuals to design their own camouflage, using cut-out silhouettes.

Whatever the surrounding, said Thayer, a person “has only to cut out a stencil of the soldier, ship, cannon or whatever figure he wishes to conceal, and look through this stencil from the viewpoint under consideration, to learn just what costume from that viewpoint would most tend to conceal this figure.” However, the purpose of dazzle camouflage was confusion, not concealment, so, in the examples below, we have used the silhouette as a mask with which to “find” valuable dazzle designs in an abstract, geometric plan. In studies of human vision, Gestalt psychologists and others have investigated embedded figures or “puzzle pictures” (Wolfgang Köhler called them “camouflaged figures”) in which a simple shape has been adroitly hidden within a larger, more complex surrounding.

In pre-computer days, one could make arbitrary compositions in art by overlapping “systems” on layers of tracing paper, viewed on a light table. Today, it is ever so easy to do the same thing (and much more) by using the “layers” function in software such as Adobe Photoshop. This could have been useful as a way to generate dazzle designs, had all that been available in World War I.

If you are looking for more information on this topic be sure to read things magazine‘s extensive ship camouflage links section.

Emma Maersk

The Emma Maersk is a true modern marvel. She is the world’s largest container ship, the longest container ship currently in service, and is propelled by the largest diesel engine ever manufactured.  During the final phase of construction and amid welding work however, a fire broke within Emma Maersk’s multi-million dollar bridge.  Flames quickly spread from the bridge down through the accommodations.  The inferno could be seen for miles.

Extinguishing a fire of this magnitude was only made capable by a group of local firefighters and crew trained to fight shipboard fires.

After escaping near total destruction, made possible only by those brave individuals involved, the Emma Maersk reached total recovery in record time.

The loss of a vessel this size would nearly be on par with losing an entire neighborhood of homes to flames.  When such a vessel is engulfed by flames only to be saved, repaired, and finally commissioned, progress and dedication again lead the way to success.

After a matter of weeks, of which the ship was also delayed, reconstruction was completed and Emma Maersk set sail on her maiden voyage.  The commonly heard story of her successful journey from China to the United Kingdom bearing a cargo of Christmas items later that year, is a simple and appropriate metaphor.  The Emma Maersk is herself a gift, her recovery a hopeful and inspiring tale of recovery and success.

According to A.P. Moller, the parent company of Maersk Line, a single 20-foot vessel container on average can hold about 48,000 bananas. In theory then, Emma Maersk is capable of holding nearly 528 million bananas in a single voyage – enough to give every person in Europe or North America a banana for breakfast. Imagine now, this statistic in terms of Christmas presents. Without the amazing turn-around of Emma, the UK would have seen a lot of unhappy families that Christmas in 2006.

In losing Emma Maersk, we too, would have lost one of the most environmentally friendly container vessels ever built, as seen in her waste heat recovery system, which saves up to ten percent of the ship’s power.  Of even greater environmental importance is her economy of scale.  Being three times that of the largest container ship to ever transit the Panama canal, her carbon footprint (and thus fuel consumption) as a proportion of her cargo-carrying capacity is far smaller than that of the smaller ships that might replace her.

A year after the pivotal story of the Emma Maersk fire she was awarded “Ship of the Year” by Lloyd’s List, the world’s longest running periodical.  Emma was given this award not because of her story, but because she set new standards in innovation, environmental issues and safety for the Maersk Line. Only a vessel that goes from the brilliant and ground-breaking design and construction, to a threat of extinction, to a final feat of success, deserves such an award,

Hailed openly as a true marvel of the sea, Emma Maersk’s journey from flames to reconstruction is a profound tale but certainly not the last testament of maritime achievement.  In 2011, South Korean shipbuilder DSME won a 1.3B Euro contract to construct a vessel nearly double the size of the Emma Maersk… the Pieter Schelte.  This vessel will essentially be a catamaran made up of two hulls, each nearly the size of the Emma Maersk.  It will be an incredible vessel by every measure once completed.

The following are photos and video taken by the local fire brigade that fought the mighty Emma Maersk fire:

Video Of The Emma Maersk Fire:

Click here to view the embedded video.

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By October 2006, the Emma Maersk had been fully repaired and set sail for her maiden voyage to Singapore:

The J.W. Westcott II, owned and operatd by the J.W. Westcott Company based in Detroit Michigan, is a 45-foot-long tugboat that acts as a USPS contracted mail courier, delivering mail and other packages to vessels while underway.

In order to get your mail delivered to your ship, first you must be in the vicinity of the Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit, MI with Windsor, Ontario, in Canada, and simply have your mail delivered to (Vessel Name), Marine Post Office, Detroit, Michigan 48222 where it will then be brought to your vessel for delivery.

Interestingly enough, the zip code, 48222, is actually assigned to the boat itself.  Not the headquarters or any specific piece of land for that matter.

Has anyone ever heard of or actually used this service before?

UPDATE: Since writing this we’ve recieved number of emails and comments (see below) with regards to the J.W. Westcott Company.  In fact, just today I received a nice message from a Cadet at Great Lakes Maritime Academy and I thought I’d post it here for all to read:

I’m a Cadet at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy and we had several cadets receive mail aboard our Training ship the T/S State of Michigan last summer on their 2 month cruise.

Also have a friend sailing as an OS with Great Lakes Fleet on the Roger Blough who will probably get some christmas presents on the way back to Duluth, MN, since he will be on for the next 5 weeks.

Its a nice service for the guys running on the lakes to get some packages from home easily.

During the holiday it’s especially hard to be away from home and such a simple service as this makes being away that much easier.

When I was a kid, I remember being mesmerized by  a 2-hour TV special about a man who spent 150 days sailing his 60-foot sailboat, American Promise, 27,000 miles around the world non-stop.   His name was Dodge Morgan.

As I pondered romantic visions of sailing the open ocean with nothing but the sound of passing waves slapping the hull, dark, star-filled skies, and the hum of the wind in the rigging, I thought, ”What an amazing adventure”.

Before casting his dock lines ashore in Portland, Maine, the start of Dodge Morgan’s 1985/6 record-setting circumnavigation, his friend (and my former neighbor) Max Fletcher handed him something… It was a copy of the journal he kept while sailing his Westsail 32, Christopher Robin, double-handed around Cape Horn a few years prior.

He later told Max that he read it during his voyage and remarked, “if these two idiots can do it, so can I.”

While battling fierce storms, intense loneliness, and the challenges associated with managing over a thousand square feet of canvas, Dodge Morgan pioneered the sport of long distance singlehanded sailing, advanced offshore sailing technology, and inspired countless individuals to get out on the ocean and explore for themselves.

Soon after returning from his circumnavigation, he donated American Promise to the United States Naval Academy for their offshore sail-training program.  A well-built boat with attractive lines and substantial living space in her cabin, American Promise was an ideal training platform for the Midshipmen.

Summer sail training sessions by the Naval Academy brought the Mids up to Maine on occasion to visit Dodge, but he never again set foot on her.  Perhaps he just preferred to remember her how she was.

Years later, while a member of the Offshore Sailing Team at the United States Naval Academy, I was afforded the opportunity as Navigator/Watch Captain of American Promise during the 1997 Marion-Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race.  I could hardly have been more excited to be racing a boat that had been the platform of such an inspirational voyage 10 years earlier.

Although in later years he lived a bit of a recluse lifestyle, he will always be remembered by his friends as a wonderful and interesting gentleman and saavy businessman.

Fair Winds and Following Seas Mr. Morgan.

Ever wonder how a huge FPSO is delivered to it’s destination? Shipspotting forum points us to Seven Marine’s photos of a recent heavy lift operation:

The FPSO Sevan Voyageur left Yantai Raffles Shipyard in China this morning. The FPSO is placed onboard a dry tow vessel and is on its way to the Keppel Verolme shipyard for topside hook-up and commissioning. FPSO Sevan Voyageur will be installed on the Shelley field in the central UK North Sea in 2008, under a five year contract with Oilexco North Sea Ltd.

Full sized photos HERE.

The above photo was taken using a technique we published in a story titled “Shipboard Digital Camera Tricks“. Many more great moon pictures by the photographer, Licya, can be found HERE.

by Miranda Max

Sailors and captains have been using the moon to navigate the sea for ages. The history between the moon and the sea is deep and rich. We find the relationship even in literature, as in Emily Dickinson’s The Moon is Distant from the Sea.

The moon is distant from the sea,
And yet with amber hands
She leads him, docile as a boy,
Along appointed sands.

He never misses a degree;
Obedient to her eye,
He comes just so far toward the town,
Just so far goes away.

Oh, Signor, thine the amber hand,
And mine the distant sea, –
Obedient to the least command
Thine eyes impose on me.

Celestial navigation, also known as astronavigation, has evolved over several thousand years. Throughout this time the moon has helped sailors cross oceans without having to rely on estimated calculations and physical features. While the sun may be the easiest and most commonly used natural compass, the moon works just as well for the skilled navigator.

Angular measurements, when taken between celestial bodies in the sky and the visible horizon, are used to locate one’s position on land or at sea. Any celestial body is located directly over only one specific geographic point at all times. This location can be described by latitude and longitude and is known as the celestial body’s “GP”. From here, the precise location of a ship at sea can be determined by referring to the Nautical or Air Almanac, locating that exact second of time, for that calendar year.

Today the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force continue to instruct sailors and aviators on the moon and its use in determining your position. Using the moon for navigation has many benefits, such as its ability to be used independently of ground aids, its global coverage, its constant availability despite occasional cloud coverage, and the fact that it is much larger and easier to recognize than stars and planets.

If it weren’t for the relationship between the moon and tides, navigation wouldn’t be possible. A significant gravitational pull exists between the earth and the moon. This pull causes tides in the ocean to occur. As the moon’s gravity pulls the earth and water towards it, the water moves to the side of the earth that faces the moon. At this same instant, another force pulls the water in the opposite direction because of inertia. Furthermore, these two opposing forces are equal to each other, and are always simultaneously moving toward and away from the moon.

Navigating by moon is accomplished relatively easily using the celestial navigation tables and a sextant. Today we keep alive a rich history of ocean navigation through photos and old stories, calling to mind the images of ships from long ago and sailors who never miss a degree, obedient to the moon as their captain.

History is littered with bridges designed to do the impossible. One example, Euroroute (pictured above), would literally take drivers through the White Cliffs of Dover to an island five miles into the English Channel where a tunnel would bring drivers the twenty remaining miles to France. This bridge designs was never built of course but the dream existed.

Today bridges are being designed that would cast shadows over Euroroute’s proposed span. Here’s what is being planned.

The Bridge Designs

Fehmarn Belt Bridge

Fehmarn Belt Bridge: Germany and Denmark have agreed upon building a 19km long bridge in between the two countries in the Fehmarn Belt region, and in that way shorten the trip between Scandinavia and central Europe. The construction of the bridge will be financed mostly by Denmark, with 4.8 billion euros, and Germany with 800 million Euros. The bridge will have two levels, one for road traffic, and one for rail. The start of construction is expected in 2011, and its opening in 2018. (Source: Javno)

Bering Strait Bridge

Bering Strait Bridge: The 55 mile long bridge across the Bering Strait would connect Asia and North America for the first time since the continents touched each other. At an estimated cost of 15 to 25 billion dollars this proposal is not only expensive but fraught with challenge. Ice breakup after each winter is violent and would destroy normal bridge piers. Specially shaped massive piers along the ocean floor would be needed to keep the bridge stable. (video – Map)

Hong Kong – Zhuhai – Macao Bridge

Hong Kong – Zhuhai – Macao Bridge: Being situated at the waters of Lingdingyang of Pearl River Estuary, is a large sea crossing linking the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Zhuhai City of Guangdong Province and Macao Special Administrative Region. The functions of the bridge is to meet the demand of passenger and freight land transport among Hong Kong, the Mainland and Macao, to establish a new land transport link between the east and west coasts of the Pearl River, and to enhance the economic and sustainable development in the three places. (Source: Hong Kong Highways Dept.)

Strait of Gibraltar Bridge

Strait of Gibraltar Bridge: One of the great challenges to the bridge and structural engineering profession is the design and construction of a fixed bridge spanning the Strait of Gibraltar. Several engineers have advanced designs for the Gibraltar Bridge on various alignments and with differing structural configurations but it was Professor T.Y. Lin’s proposal that captured the attention of the world. This design is different. With its 14km length, deep piers, and unprecedented 5000 meter spans Lin’s proposed crossing is innovative but, considering an estimated cost of over 15 Billion dollars and the lack of approval for this nearly 10 year old design, we doubt it will ever be built.

Straight Of Gibraltar Island Bridge

Straight Of Gibraltar Island Bridge: Eugene Tsui, a US architect has an alternative idea for the Straight Of Gibraltar, in fact it could become the longest bridge in the world spanning the Strait of Gibraltar and connecting the continents of Europe and Africa. This revolutionary design does not resemble any existing bridge and features an original floating and submerging concept while creating a three mile wide floating island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. From this newly created island a person could view both the European and African continents for the first time in human history. If construction ever begins it will be the biggest architectural project in the world. (Source: tdrinc

The following bridge proposals are in so new that we could not locate any design drawings but you don’t need the drawings to grasp their awesome size:

Sunda Strait Bridge

The Sunda Strait Bridge is a planned road and railway connection between the two Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java. After years of discussion and planning, eventually in October 2007 the Indonesian government gave the initial go-ahead for what will become the world’s longest suspension bridge, across the 26km (16mi) Sunda Strait. The $10bn project is for a series of bridges carrying a six lane highway and double track railway traversing three islands. The project’s greatest challenge is the fact that the strait lies in one of the world’s most dangerous earthquake zones. Sumatra is frequently rocked by significant tremors and more than 230,000 people were killed when a 9.0-magnitude quake in December 2004 triggered a tsunami. Many active volcanoes lies in the area, including Krakatoa only 40km away. (Source: Wikipedia – Map)

Qatar Bahrain Friendship Bridge

Look at a map of the world, and Qatar and Bahrain are so close that you would assume there was a ferry crossing between the two gulf countries. In fact, there is no way to enter the country except for a round trip through Saudi. The Bahrain-Qatar bridge, at 40 kilometres long, will be the longest bridge in the world, and it is estimated that it will take over four years to complete. Due to its length, the causeway will not consist of a single bridge but of a number of roads on dams connected by individual bridges, with a central island in the middle of the causeway. The has been planned for many years, but talks and plans have been moving ahead in recent months and work is now planned to start in May 2008. (Source: Qatar Visitor | Feasibility Study)

Millau Bridge

While these bridges are challenging, expensive and some are unlikely to be constructed the most impressive of the bunch is already built! Meet France’s Millau Bridge:

Millau Bridge: Towering 1,125ft above the Tarn Valley in southern France, driving along the Millau Bridge, the largest cable-stayed vehicular bridge in the world, is said to feel like flying. This Foster + Partners marvel is slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower, took three years to build and opened to the public in 2004. While it may provide picturesque views of the valley below, once the mist descends it is not a route for the faint hearted! The Millau Bridge has a total length of 8,071ft with the longest single span at 1,122ft and a maximum clearance below of 886ft; in short the bridge is massively impressive both on paper and in real life. The deck is lofted on 7 pylons and weighs 36,000 tonnes. A series of 7 masts, each 292ft tall and weighing 700 tonnes, are attached to the corresponding pylons. (Source: Frikoo | Construction Photos)

 

From the gCaptain Archive: World’s Fastest Ship OR Largest Plane? Thrilling Wonder brings us the story of The Caspian Sea Monster. Built during the cold war this Russian plane hovered over the water at speeds exceeding 200 knots.

They hover and skim above the water surface at speeds of up to 250 miles an hour, they carry heavier loads of cargo and troops than any airplane – the Ekranoplans, or “Wing-in-Ground” (WIG) vehicles are possibly the most exciting and strange looking technology ever designed by men.

Developed mostly by Soviets during Cold Wars years (by Rostislav Alexeev’s design firm) some of them were over 500 feet in length and had an estimated weight of over 500 tons! And yet they skimmed over the waves with grace, at high speeds, able to negotiate stormy conditions, unseen by radar – all thanks to an aerodynamic principle known as the “ground effect”. Dark Roasted Blend: Ekranoplans Showcase

For those interested here’s the video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

UPDATE: We just got around to reading the Spring 2007 of the Coast Guard’s Proceedings magazine and read the following interesting article on the resurgance of Wing In Ground ( WIG ) aircraft among entrepeneurs and hobbiests. The Article can be downloaded here: Is it a Ship, a Plane, or a WIG?

The USCG also has a web page devoted to regulating the craft: LINK

If your looking for future information subscribe to the Coast Guard’s WIG email list: LINK

How is a cabin is built in this day of containerization and commodization? Remotely of course. Eurodam News, Holland America’s blog showcasing the shipyard activities around their latest new build project, brings us photos of the stateroom installation.

Of potential interest to readers of this blog the method shown here is very similar to how accommodation blocks are built aboard modern commercial ships. In conjuntion with this trend is the movement towards equality among crew members, which means the Captain’s cabin is often identical to that of the most junior crew member minus the extra rack. This is in stark contrast to my first ship, a Wrecks Act tanker built in Japan, which contained bunkrooms for junior crew members and a four room (day room, office, sitting room, cabin) suite for the Captain.

It’s also not only the cabin that is built remotely and installed on site. Often entire accommodation or specialty modules are built by separate companies and placed atop the hull, which itself is built in parts and transported within the shipyard (photo example). Examples include Transocean’s newest drillship the Clear Leader, Polar Tanker’s latest ships and the Semi-Submersible Development Driller II shown in this Leirvik modular fabrication brochure.

The titan of the industry, however, is Aker Yards’. Their cabin division produces over 9000 cabin and bathroom units annually. Cruise Critics gives us an inside look at their “Cabin Factory”;

In the tiny town of Piikkio, nestled in farm country some 20 kilometers from the shipbuilding city of Turku, Aker Yards Cabins has been building pre-designed cruise cabins for 20 years. Here, panels are assembled to make walls and ceilings. Toilets are installed and shower floors, made of hard plastic and designed to resemble colorful mosaic combinations, have been pre-made and are ready to be laid in bathrooms. Entire technical systems — each cabin has its own — are put in place. Telephones, mini-bars and even electric sockets (providing access to European and American currents), along with data ports, are all snugly outfitted into a vanity desk/wall unit that’s arrived from a furniture factory elsewhere in Finland.

Even the beds hang tightly from the walls.

If you’ve ever cruised on Royal Caribbean’s Radiance-, Voyager- or Freedom-class ships in anything but a huge suite, you’ve stayed in one of these prefabs.

To read more on Aker’s “cabin Factory” click here and for the instillation of these type of modular cabins click here. Photos of the final product can be found here.

Here’s video of Aker’s “Cabin Factory”;

Click here to view the embedded video.