Bow Thrusters or Not, This is Impressive!

[emsworthy]

Pretty impressive maneuvering by the French ferry Pascal Paoli coming into Bastia on Corsica yesterday in swirling winds of 40-50 knots. Not sure if this is the usual way of coming into port but but I'd guess not from the fact it was newsworthy and looks an extremely tight fit!

http://www.corsematin.com/article/derniere-minute/video-tempete-a-bastia-la-spectaculaire-manoeuvre-du-pascal-paoli.878658.html?fb_action_ids=10151301851977513&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map={%2210151301851977513%22%3A282817778511033}&action_type_map={%2210151301851977513%22%3A%22og.recommends%22}&action_ref_map=[]

OK and now someone will point out she has these fancy azipod things and it's actually easy-peasy, but I'm still impressed!

 

[WestWittering]

Very impressive - couldn't see who was on the pontoon with the stern line though........

Di

 

[capnsensible]

They must have lassooed it from the ship......

 

[WestWittering]

They must have lassooed it from the ship......

I LOVED that! We need a Thanks or a Like button right now

Di

 

[ean_p]

did I miss the point there!!!...... looked to me that the ship was in a wind shadow by the near vertical rise of smoke/steam from her funnels!....sure out in the bay it looked distinctly breezy but in harbour looked quite calm!.....still a tight turn around though non the less!

 

[MrB]

Meh, park assist.

 

[WestWittering]

Meh, park assist.

Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep beep beep beep beep beep

 

[Sybarite]

The boat is 180m long and the port 230m wide at that point. A little over 20m available at each end.

 

[photodog]

The boat is 180m long and the port 230m wide at that point. A little over 20m available at each end.

Pah! Bags of room... Let's see him do a standing turn between P2 and 3 at
Plymouth yacht haven in a F5 SW in a Bavaria 36 with no bow thruster and the wife shouting from the bow that I can feck off if I think she Is gonna jump from there....

 

[capnsensible]

Pah! Bags of room... Let's see him do a standing turn between P2 and 3 at
Plymouth yacht haven in a F5 SW in a Bavaria 36 with no bow thruster and the wife shouting from the bow that I can feck off if I think she Is gonna jump from there....

Why not ask your wife to steer the yacht so that you can have at turn shouting too?

 

[Giblets]

I get the impression that the skipper may have done that before!

 

[Plomong]

Is she diesel-electric or direct drive ??

If the former, then I'm sure she had all 4 main gen-sets running and synced, and the auxiliaries also, and all non-essential domestic load off!!!

If direct drive, then the skipper has balls -- big enough to fill a wheelbarrow !!!!

 

[KINGFISHER 9]

Spent a week after Christmas in a hotel overlooking the Gozo ferry which is a ro-ro push-me pull-you design with a bridge at each end ... as far as I could tell it had one of those swivelling pod things at each end ... did all sorts of tricks with it going in and out and berthing on a couple of days with big winds ... be interested to find out if anyone's got the info.

 

[Giblets]

Is she diesel-electric or direct drive ??

If the former, then I'm sure she had all 4 main gen-sets running and synced, and the auxiliaries also, and all non-essential domestic load off!!!

If direct drive, then the skipper has balls -- big enough to fill a wheelbarrow !!!!

Engines
Number of Main Engine(s): 4
Main Engine builder: Wartsila
Main Model: 9L46
Main RPM: 500
Main power: / 37800 KW
Main Fuel: IFO380

 

[Bilgediver]

I get the impression that the skipper may have done that before!

Something seen a few times a day at any ferry port. The manoeuvre is helped by the fact that many of these ferries have multiple bow and stern thrusters as well as Variable pitch propellers. A lot easier than trying to mimic on a 36 FT Bav . What makes it even more impressive when observing from the boat deck is the speed at which the ship is turning. Even the QM2 can do tricks like this but in a more ladylike manor.She has azimuth thrusters aft and bow thrusters forard.

http://www.windwardtechnologyhawaii.com/capt_of_queens_00001d.htm

 

[Giblets]

The old Pride of Bilbao used to do that manoeuvre at Portsmouth Ferry port ( and the Brittany ferries still do). One time she tried a bit too hard and nearly backed into HMS Bristol - much "full ahead both" and white water!!!

 

[Giblets]

Something seen a few times a day at any ferry port. The manoeuvre is helped by the fact that many of these ferries have multiple bow and stern thrusters as well as Variable pitch propellers. A lot easier than trying to mimic on a 36 FT Bav . What makes it even more impressive when observing from the boat deck is the speed at which the ship is turning. Even the QM2 can do tricks like this but in a more ladylike manor.She has azimuth thrusters aft and bow thrusters forard.

http://www.windwardtechnologyhawaii.com/capt_of_queens_00001d.htm

Thanks for posting that link. I had forgotten that I had a copy of Captain of The Queens. Have just installed and updated. More time about to be lost!!!!

 

[capnsensible]

Spent a week after Christmas in a hotel overlooking the Gozo ferry which is a ro-ro push-me pull-you design with a bridge at each end ... as far as I could tell it had one of those swivelling pod things at each end ... did all sorts of tricks with it going in and out and berthing on a couple of days with big winds ... be interested to find out if anyone's got the info.

Got a picture:

That was in the summer. Went on it day after boxing day!

 

[Zen Zero]

This should be a vid of a difficult docking in Lemnos.

 

[vyv_cox]

That does look difficult. An hour and a half and still not there. Amazing that they still berth on anchor everywhere, even the big Italy - Greece ferries.