We had a discussion here at the navy yard as to what the ugliest ship (or type ship) afloat might be. The general concensus was that the modern cruise ship was an abomination to Neptune himself. What do you say to that?
Not much argument from me on that one.
agreed
Oh sure, just because I finished repairing one, huh??
Bash the guy with the cruise ship…BAH!!
Just kidding…but I have to agree, some are pretty ugly.
Jeff
Sorry Jeff, it wasn’t because you just repaired one, and that you did such a beautiful job doing it at that. It is just that most of the guys I work with are so convervative when it comes to ship design that when they see a cruise ship across the river at a civilian shipyard they cringe.
I disagree just a little bit, I don’t think cruise ships are “ugly” just “abnormal”. Over the last 5 or so years I’ve been amazed at the heights these things are going to. I don’t think I could bring myself to get on one of the newer ships in fear that it would go belly up in a stiff wind.
I’m not sure of their draft or bottom configuration, but they look like they would roll like crazy in any kind of sea. I know that I wouldn’t want to ride one. (I’d be embarrassed if anyone from work saw me on one for that matter[xx(])
I have to agree though, some of them are pretty ugly…
Ships are supposed to have a certain esotric beauty to them…but most don’t.
Course, some of these lakers are pretty ugly too…there’s a couple of container ships that are just plain butt-ugly. Some, like the auto-transports I see at Port Newark, don’t even look like ships…
J
Come on people… Got to be an aircraftcarrier… Big fat flat top… Hard to tell bow from stern at a distance… Bridge is off center… I like them and do model one on occaision… But they are ugly…
Sorry guys,I would have to say the ugliest ship (an I use the term loosely!!) afloat is the stealth ship. Looks to me more like a capsized kayak than a ship.
Yeah, I’ve seen some giant ugly bricks whith holes, some are just like boxes.
Today ships are made to be functional, theres a lot of systems, electronics bla, bla ,bla…So they dont spend time or money to make them beautiful,
just the necessary to get the work done. Only in a few type of ships the design maters.
So i build models of old and beautifull ships. But, there are modern good looking ships also.
I agree about the cruise ship, just a hotel on a barge. And they are getting pretty top heavy. I can’t waint until the United States goes back into commission so I can actually stroll a deck. The new ships don’t have a deck to stroll on. Just a big shopping mall and a casino. Why would I pay all that money just to feel like i’m still in town?
The new Windjammer sailing ships are really a sight for sore eyes as well. They just put a couple of masts on top of a cruise ship and call it a sailing vessel and charge an extra grand for the “experience”.
Same with the new carriers. I can’t fathom how they can see over the bow with the bridge so far back.
However, the Burk class destroyers do have nice looking lines. They must have had a mental block desining it because it actually has symetry.
The Arleigh Burkes are designed with stealth in mind. Not that they are really stealthy but the angles are supposed to deflect radar to some extent. They are probably the best looking US naval vessels since the nuclear cruisers.
I like to chuckle about the idea of a stealth aircraft carrier that they are designing[:D]. How on earth will they hide the three mile wake that thing creates? Not to mention all the support vessels that go along with the carrier.
[:p]That’s real easy! Just make it submersible![;)]
“[4:-)]Should we prosper it shall be as is our custom…by Miracle!”
Not to knock your repair job, Jeff (or your consideable talents) but that cruise ship model looks like a skyscraper that toppled over. It’s got my vote.
Argh…I give up…
[oX)]
Jeff
It is pretty sad how cruise ships have gotten so big and so ugly all at once. I’m waiting for the Titanic II to finally get launched, but that whole project is impossible to find, if it ever got started at all. Back when they were called Ocean Liners, there were some pretty impressive hulls splitting the foam, like Normandie, Titanic, Queen Elizabeth, Andrea Doria and so on. For my money, though, the butt-ugliest pieces of warped steel to ever wet their willies are the old coal-fired pre-dreadnought battleships. They have a certain classic overkill to the design that just screams archaic technology. Having said that, let’s change the thread a tiny bit and ask what you think is the most beatiful ship ever built. I like the Soviet Kirov/Ushakov nuclear battlecruisers, the NS Savannah, and the Gearing destoyers.
most beautiful? well anything the Kriegsmarine built, ANYTHING!!! lol
and USS Alaska CB-1
best regards,
joe
[?]How on earth could anyone consider my beloved aircraft carriers ugly? One thing to keep in mind is that form does certainly follow function when dealing with ship design. Although the original question was relating to ships afloat, I must agree that the old battleships were not the most glamorous vessels ever created. As far as modern ships are concerned, I would probably say that many cargo ships are unattractive, in my opinion, based on their large rounded bows. I truly appreciate a ship that has a nice tapering bow that can slice through the oceans; this gives any ship the appearance of graceful flowing lines. [swg]