# Flat plated ship.



## Ian Harrod (Oct 11, 2005)

I saw a ship in Hamburg in the late 60's / early 70's, a new-building being fitted out. All aft, geared bulk carrier type. Probably 150-180m LOA. The unusual thing about her was that she had no curved plating at all; all flat plate cut to fit . Possibly German Boltens but not sure. Any info or photos would be appreciated.


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## woodend (Nov 23, 2009)

Sorry can't help with a picture but I remember piloting her or one very similar and looking in the 'loo' to see if there were any curves in the toilet bowl and wash basin.


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## robingail (Jul 17, 2009)

Hi Ian
Yes i recall one early seventies called at Alcoa Kwinana to load alumina she was called Jag Dev (wasn't impressed with the look)


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## stein (Nov 4, 2006)

Robingail, I'll second that: http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1043942


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## Gareth Jones (Jul 13, 2007)

Yuk looks like its made of leggo !


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Looks like her Designer's have been looking back at the build of WW2 LCT's. Very cheap to build compared to vessel's with curves(Jester)


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## Dickyboy (May 18, 2009)

Built for Stealth by the looks of her


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## notnila (Apr 26, 2006)

Is that ugly?Or is that UGLY???


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

There is many an ocean going yacht that has a steel hull built with almost flat slab plating and hard chines and I assume that this due to the type of construction being easier and cheaper to build especially by amateur shipwrights.
I have seen a few plonkers in the Auckland Harbour years ago that were built by boiler makers without a nautical eye but to carry this over into big ships doesn't seem right.

Bob


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## Ian Harrod (Oct 11, 2005)

Thanks guys, that's her allright. I particularly remember the bow construction looked really awful!


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## Keltic Star (Jan 21, 2006)

The Jag Dev is literally using flat plate to the extreme but ships can be built with reasonable curves with developed surfaces of flat plate without having to roll the plate. Admittedly a more aesthetic appearance is obtained by rolling certain sections such as the turn of the bilge in a displacement hull but for hard chine vessels such as patrol boats or motor yachts this is the preferred building method.The steel plate can be pre-cut into strange shapes that when mated together with a bit of persuasion form quite pleasing lines. 

Attached pics show a steel and aluminum trawler yacht built in this fashion. The only section rolled was the stem plate.


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## Wribbenhall (Mar 19, 2009)

*The Jury's out......*

The finished item doesn't look too bad?
I've seen far worse on more recently-built vessels than 1968 !


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## slick (Mar 31, 2006)

All,
I thought they were called CHANT's?


Yours aye,


slick


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## kewl dude (Jun 1, 2008)

*Flat plated ship*

Flat plate ships like this:

http://defensetech.org/2011/06/09/great-images-of-the-ghost-fleet/

attached

Greg Hayden


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## Keltic Star (Jan 21, 2006)

kewl dude said:


> Flat plate ships like this:
> 
> http://defensetech.org/2011/06/09/great-images-of-the-ghost-fleet/
> 
> ...


Where?


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## Keltic Star (Jan 21, 2006)

kewl dude said:


> Flat plate ships like this:
> 
> http://defensetech.org/2011/06/09/great-images-of-the-ghost-fleet/
> 
> ...


Same developed plate system but instead of steel, she is built of composite panels which absorb the radar signature in addition to deflecting it.


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## robingail (Jul 17, 2009)

Just proves "beauty is only skin deep" ugly goes right to the core;;;;.


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## todd (Jan 24, 2009)

I think the HMS Mersey is an example of 'straight plate' building.
The attached photo is from the gallery (HMS Ships) and was posted by Michael Belfast...Many Thanks Michael.

Jim


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

todd said:


> I think the HMS Mersey is an example of 'straight plate' building.
> The attached photo is from the gallery (HMS Ships) and was posted by Michael Belfast...Many Thanks Michael.
> 
> Jim


My understanding in regard's to this Class of vessel being built in this manner is that it make's them easier to "elongate" if it is required in the future by cutting the Bow off for'ad of the Bridge and sticking a section in and then affixing the Bow back on.


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## nautibuoy42 (Jul 30, 2008)

slick said:


> All,
> I thought they were called CHANT's?
> 
> 
> ...


You nearly spelt it right, try again. (Jester) Glyn


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## todd (Jan 24, 2009)

chadburn said:


> My understanding in regard's to this Class of vessel being built in this manner is that it make's them easier to "elongate" if it is required in the future by cutting the Bow off for'ad of the Bridge and sticking a section in and then affixing the Bow back on.


Chadburn, that may well be the reason but in my mind all it will achieve is a bigger uglier 'mess-up' of ship design.
There was talk of turning over the design of warships to commercial marine designers in the hope that the cost would come down...this may well be an offspring of such a union. I personally believe that the cost incurred in building modern Naval Ships is well over priced and that it is a case of no one person having to account to his 'shareholders', in this case 'Joe Public'. (Cloud)

Rant Over...... Jim


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

My understanding is that the new Carrier's Hull's are designed and built via the Commercial section input, as you are most probably aware "curves" cost money and the day's of nice streamlined vessel's are long gone, they are now just plain ugly, cheaper, but apparently fit for purpose. In the Military world it's now a matter of "slotting in" complete new package weapon system's or "buttoning on" as I have heard it being called.


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## slick (Mar 31, 2006)

All,
I say again its been done before CHANT, which I believe stood for Channel Tanker,
Goole Shipyards.

Yours aye,

slick


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## randcmackenzie (Aug 31, 2005)

I'm pretty sure Bowrings had a 40,000 ton bulk carrier in the Seabridge pool in the late sixties with flat plate construction, or nearly so.

I think she was built in Holland and named Forth Bridge?


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## loganevh (May 15, 2011)

horrible looking....I have always fancied the looks of ships of the 40s, 50s , 60s,,,,at least they didnt all look ALIKE as today they do. They had STYLE


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