Historic Sea Forts An armada of sea forts were built during World War II specifically designed to repel smaller aircraft flying in to attack Great Britain. Each fort consisted of a cluster of smaller units arrayed in a group. Each group had one spotlight tower and the rest of the units had guns mounted all around to give maximum coverage. Each fort was connected by bridges to … [Read more...]
A Sinking Ship – World’s Largest Yacht Transporter
Dockwise Yacht Transport has been in the boat delivery business for 21 years. Their semi-submersible vessels operate world wide. Launched in April of 2008, the China Built heavy lift ship Yacht Express is the world's largest float-on float-off yacht carrier (Video). This amazing ship has opened a regular round-trip service between Florida and the Mediterranean. 18 yachts … [Read more...]
Crane Photos – Heavy Lift Cranes & Rigging
The maritime and ship-building industry has a constant need to move the world's heaviest loads between ship and shore and even employees the biggest crane in the world. But the true workhorses of the industry are the heavy lift cranes used to move mega-blocks, large sections of newly constructed ships, around shipyards throughout the world. The following are photos of the … [Read more...]
Early Aircraft Carriers
When we think of early Aircraft Carriers, most defer to the US Navy converting Jupiter (Collier # 3) in 1920 to CVI Langley. Commissioned in March 1922, Langley was the U.S. Navy's first conventional aircraft carrier. In October-November 1922, she launched, recovered and catapulted her first aircraft during initial operations in the Atlantic and Caribbean areas. The … [Read more...]
Ballast Free Ships
University of Michigan researchers are investigating a radical new design for cargo ships that would eliminate ballast tanks, the water-filled compartments that enable non-native creatures to sneak into the Great Lakes from overseas. PhysOrg.com is reporting that an alternative to current and proposed tank cleaning methods. Here's an excerpt: "In some ways, it's more … [Read more...]