Re: APDs, LSD's and LPAs

On Wed, 22 Sep 1999, Alan E and Carmel J Brain wrote:

> Ryan M Gill wrote:
>
> > After flipping through a book at borders this weekend and seeing a
> > section in it on Fast Transports from WWII, I decided to convert a
> > Ticonderoga figure.
> 
> An interesting vessel that's appeared on the news recently is HMAS
> Jervis Bay. She's a large Catameran, a Ro-Ro troopcarrier. And she
looks
> as if she belongs in the middle 21st century, rather than the late
20th.
> 
> http://www.navy.gov.au/3_photo/jb0006.jpg
> http://www.navy.gov.au/3_photo/jb0007.jpg

it looks darned similar to the SeaCat ferries that do the run across the
channel and the irish sea round these parts. they painted one black
(well,
a model) and used it as the stealth ship in 'tomorrow never dies'. my
data
says length 74 m, cruise speed 35 kts, displacement 3 000 tonnes.

see also the later HSS, which is stena's latest catamaran, and which is
a
dead ringer for a shuttlecraft off star trek. length 127 m, cruise speed
40 kts, displacement 20 000 tonnes.

http://www.seaview.co.uk/cruiselines/stena/Stena_HSS.html

i sailed past one in an 80-year-old gaff cutter out at Harwich. that was
comical.

i don't know how seaworthy they are - could they operate in foul
deep-ocean weather? if so, i can see navies picking up on catamarans
before too long.

tom