short sea shipping question

[oftheforest]

Can you tell me if catamarans can be used for SSS with loads of about 120 containers? Thank you.

[Adelie]

What's SSS?

[oftheforest]

SSS is short sea shipping.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by oftheforest

SSS is short sea shipping.

Explain that.

[Stumble]

One could certainly be designed for this, but it would have to be a pretty special justification. Cats are much more weight dependent than a cargo ship, so for the same cargo hold it would need to be larger to approach the same capacity.

Is there a specific reason for investigating cats? In large commercial service cats are mostly restricted to ferries, and there it is generally for the added stability (sea sickness for the passengers), or speed.

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Explain that.

Coastwise cargo transport. Typically just a few hundred miles from point to point and back again (say Miami to New Orleans as a busy route).

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Stumble

Coastwise cargo transport. Typically just a few hundred miles from point to point and back again (say Miami to New Orleans as a busy route).

Was getting that impression but wanted to make sure.

At higher displacements there is a trade off between wave, form, and friction drag that cats lose. Since economic speed for cargo movement is near or below 1*D/L total surface area is more important than L/Bm which is where cats have their advantage.

What exactly did you have in mind? Power or sail or some combo or solar powered?