World's Largest Ship Floated For the First Time 166
Zothecula writes "A ship with a hull longer than the Empire State Building is tall has been floated out of dry dock in Geoje, South Korea. Measuring 488 m (1,601 ft) long and 74 m (243 ft) wide, the hull belongs to Shell's Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility, which upon completion will be the largest floating facility ever built."
Re:Technically it is not a ship... (Score:4, Insightful)
RTFA: "three 6,700-hp thrusters at the rear of the Prelude"
Just because they're not intended for transportation doesn't mean they're not there.
Re:Technically it is not a ship... (Score:4, Insightful)
Prelude has three 6,700 horsepower thrusters for weathervaning. Mightn't be the best way of getting it around, but if they can pivot the bugger about the mooring turret, I'm sure they could move it around in some dreadfully slow and awkward fashion.
Taunt the seasteaders. (Score:2, Insightful)
This is what you can build when you have real money, a real business model and a real plan instead of just a fantasy of a libertarian utopia.
Re:Worlds biggest shipyards (Score:0, Insightful)
Re:Worlds biggest shipyards (Score:5, Insightful)
SK has unions. Also French and Japanese companies seem to be able to build things on time and on budget. Ditto the Germans, who are also unionised.
It's a cultural thing, nothing to do with unions.