Red Funnel

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

[AriesDW]

Hrm - That is a good point. Right now, all the ships in SS2006 and the other vessels proposed in SS2008 have only one "command station position" when you click the control icon. VStep would need to develope either multiple command station position abilities or you would have to command the vessel one way in command mode and then the other way in walkaround mode . . . . Good thought.

[ChiefEagle]

On a ferry I'm woorking at we turn the whole wheelhouse, when turning it the thrusters turn too.

[KDS]

I can't wait for the Red Funnel boats in the game, so I can do a real route.

[Ship Sim]

I have been on a ferrie down in north carolina and it had stern propulsion and they took the whole ferrie and turnted it around. So it is possiable we will have to do this in the game.

[Apejens]

I have been on a ferrie down in north carolina and it had stern propulsion and they took the whole ferrie and turnted it around. So it is possiable we will have to do this in the game.

Okay...but since the ferry in itself is double-ended it should be created as such in the game as well.
I have worked on over 20 double-ended ferries myself, and most of them have a manouvre-position in each end of the wheelhouse. However, the newer ones have one manouvre-position in the middle of the wheelhouse.
This consists of a turnable chair with control levers at both sides.

On these ferries, you have one azimuth-thruster in each end, providing both propulsion and steering.
It works like this: when you sit in your chair, you have one control lever in each hand, at both sides of the chair.
In your right hand, you have the control lever for the aft thruster(by this I mean AFT depending on which way the ferry moves, so it`s the thruster behind your back....hard to explain for a non-englishman  )
In your left hand is the control lever for the thruster in front of you - the bow in this direction.

When the ferry leaves the dock the chair is turned the opposite way and because of this you will still have the thruster behind you in your right hand and the one in the bow in your left....geddit?

For those unfamiliar with double-ended ferries: the ferry is run by both thrusters, pointing backwards, but steered with the one behind your back. When approaching the docks, the thruster in the bow is turned 180 degrees and is used to stop the ferry and steer its bow, while the thruster in the back may have a pitch/rpm of maybe 20-30% and is used to steer the ferry`s stern. This is at least how it`s done on many norwegian ferries.
Hope this may be of some help - if someone involved with making the game or anybody else needs more information, I
will do my very best to be of assistance.

Oh, and by the way: for a picture of the control lever for the thruster, go to: http://www.lilaas.no/sw251.asp ...it consists of a regular throttle, this is mounted on a 360 degrees "plate" so that you choose the way you want to thrust - almost as an outboard motor.

[AriesDW]

Fascinating. Thank you for this information. Now let us hope a way can be found to get it programmed into the game properly. I think this sounds like an exciting approach.

[krishnaiow]

the ships have two voith schnieder propellors one at each end, on the bridge of the ferry, they have 4 sets of controls, 1 on each wing, and on at the forward end of the bridge, and a copy at the stern end of the bridge, when docking you use the one closest to the end which is connectin withthe land, when leaving to go the other way, the captain moves to another control station, are whatever you want to call it, and uses the controls there so the the other end becomes the bow, and the end tht was the bow, is the stern of the ship.

[AriesDW]

I believe, regardless of propulsion system, that is a common approach. It is common place for vessels to have wing controls, and of course the main command station on the bridge. However, in this case, two sets in the bridge. I really like the bridge layout as Apjens described in addition to two wing stations. To me that sounds very efficient and practical.

[krishnaiow]

on this pic, the person is facing the bow, (camera man is facing the person i.e the aft end of the ship) the wheel at he bottom of the picture (closest to the camera man) controls the front end of the ship, the front voith propeller, and the wheel closest the the crewman in the blue shirt, and trouser, controls the rear voith unit.

when the crew man turns the wheel controlling the forward propeller, to the left the bow starts to swing to the left with the rear propeller still driving the boat straight ahead.

when the crewman turns the wheel for the propeller at the aft end of the ship the back of the vessel swings around resulting in this effect



although this is for a wightlink ferry the red funnel control system would be the same....i think! with a wheel controlling the bow direction, a wheel controling the stern direction and another wheel verticall mounted ont he side of the unit for prpulsion forwards or backwards.

as for forward back ward movement, there is another wheel place vertically on the side of the console which is moved in the direction of desired movement,

when moving backwards as a role on role off ferry would do half the trips as , the wheel controlling the aft of the ship will then control the new forward (going backward maked the stearn the bow) and the wheel is just turned left to turn left or right to turn right.

hope this is of some use

if ur making a virtual bridge it is best to make it as realistic as possible

[krishnaiow]

another example of the wheels

read throught the website below, ye sit is for kids but it has a clearer explanation and pics, with a section on HOW TO CONTROL THE CAR FERRIES USING VOITH SCHNIEDER propulsion, again although it is a wightlink ferry red funnel would be the same.

http://wightlink.co.uk/kidszone/across_the_solent/navigating_the_solent.htm

[krishnaiow]

http://www.solentwaters.co.uk/Article%20Chest/Accident%20Report%20Red%20Falcon%20Contact%20with%20Linkspan.pdf

PAGE 10 and 13 (Pictures)

Picture of the red falcons (the red eagles almost identical sister ship) control unit

if you read the first few pages it kinda explains how they are controlled

[muns]

Picture of the red falcons (the red eagles identical sister ship) control unit

if you read the first few pages it kinda explains how they are controlled

Sister ship yes, identical - no!

The doccument also indicates that both propulsion units can be controlled "as one", as well as how easy it is to forget that they are not - hence the plowing into the linkspan at Southampton!

[krishnaiow]

yes that is true
surely when making the game they would model controls based on the real life controls like in the pictures in the document, wouldnt they?

[AriesDW]

Let us sure hope so.

[marcstrat]

Greetings,
As far as i know,the red funnel ferrie will be in the game,with a normal steering(as other vessels),however Vstep is thinking for a future edition,to make it like real.How?They dont have a idea yet,but it has to come in the game.
Another reason is,that they are realy hard working on the 2008 version,like the scenery,dynamics........aso.
This takes somuch time,and they are running out of it.
One thing i can tell you,the differce of the 2006,compaired with the 2008 version is huge.
If you look to the youtube movies,you can see the progress of this game.
Remember,this game is only one year on the market.
Most of the features,like waves....aso,are there.
In short words,amazing game,if you see where and how it all was.
Regards
Marc

[AriesDW]

True they have done well for where they are at. However, we can all hope and look forward to the future.

[Apejens]

How about the linkspans? Will they be implemented? That`s absolutely crucial!

[Captain Davies]

I think that even if people cannot be animated to walk on the ship there should at least be people standing there that disappear when they are on board.  Like in SS 2006, people would stand there, representing the people who were to get on board, but they didn't dissapear afterwards.  Vstep could have made it like the drowning men waypoint.

[AriesDW]

Well, it is like in MSFS there was an animation at some airports where a fuel truck would drive to you, fill the tanks, then drive away. It even drove around to the animated and static AI craft.

[Vecten]

No Isle of Wight ferry has propellors fore and aft. They can load at either end but always have to turn around. No Isle of Wight ferry goes around the Island either, all ports are on the North coast of the Island.

[muns]

No Isle of Wight ferry has propellors fore and aft. They can load at either end but always have to turn around. No Isle of Wight ferry goes around the Island either, all ports are on the North coast of the Island.

I believe all of the IOW ferries use VSPs.  The Car feries on both the Southampton-Cowes (Red Funnel) and Lymington Yarmouth (WightLink) route are double bowed and never turn around as they are designed that way.  Two of the three ferries on the Portsmouth-Fishbourne (Wightlink) service need to turn as they have only one "bow" but can load both ends.

[krishnaiow]

I believe all of the IOW ferries use VSPs.  The Car feries on both the Southampton-Cowes (Red Funnel) and Lymington Yarmouth (WightLink) route are double bowed and never turn around as they are designed that way.  Two of the three ferries on the Portsmouth-Fishbourne (Wightlink) service need to turn as they have only one "bow" but can load both ends.

2 of the 3? there's 5! the 4 older ones have a bridge at the front, rather than the middle, so they turn around when leaving fishbourne, so the bridge is facing the direction of movement. tht sed i have known of sailings to have been done in 'reverse' without turning the bridge to face the front!

the newest ship and the 5th one to run on the route has a bridge in the middle, and  has no need to turn around at fishbourne unless the weather is bad, when they turn around to have the ships anchor at the front, so the strongest part of the hull goes through the waves first. 

[muns]

2 of the 3? there's 5! the 4 older ones have a bridge at the front, rather than the middle, so they turn around when leaving fishbourne, so the bridge is facing the direction of movement. tht sed i have known of sailings to have been done in 'reverse' without turning the bridge to face the front!

the newest ship and the 5th one to run on the route has a bridge in the middle, and  has no need to turn around at fishbourne unless the weather is bad, when they turn around to have the ships anchor at the front, so the strongest part of the hull goes through the waves first. 

My appologies, I dont know why I said 3 (must have forgotten St Faith & St Cecilia when counting)!

Note to self: Remember Routes & Ships....
Vehicle services....
Portsmouth-Fishbourne: St Clair, St Catherine, St Helen, St Faith, St Cecilia.
Lymington-Yarmouth: Cenred, Cenwolf, Caedmon [+Hull 550, Hull 551].
Southampton-East Cowes: Red Falcon, Red Osprey, Red Eagle.
Fast passenger services....
Portsmouth-Ryde: Our Lady Pamela, Fastcat Ryde, Fastcat Shanklin
Southampton-West Cowes: Red Jet 1, Red Jet 2, Red Jet 3, Red Jet 4

[LucAtC]

Hello,
Are IOW ferries the same as Wightlink ferries? Or is Wightlink a subsidiary of IOW ferries?
I found a Wightlink ferries site http://wightlink.co.uk/kidszone/across_the_solent/welcome_aboard.htm  and read that these ferries have aft and forward propellers, but it is not mentioned of which kind. Does someone know anything about that?
Regards,
Luc
 

[muns]

Hello,
Are IOW ferries the same as Wightlink ferries? Or is Wightlink a subsidiary of IOW ferries?
I found a Wightlink ferries site http://wightlink.co.uk/kidszone/across_the_solent/welcome_aboard.htm  and read that these ferries have aft and forward propellers, but it is not mentioned of which kind. Does someone know anything about that?
Regards,
Luc
 

There are 2 companies that opperate scheduled ferry services to the Isle of Wight, WightLink and Red Funnel.

All of the car ferries use VOITH SCHNIEDER propulsion units, one forward and one aft.