Ship Science students visit MV Tortugas
Classification society, DNV, recently invited a group of our Ship Science students down to the docks in Southampton to visit the MV Tortugas, a Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC).
The group of 40 second year Ship Science students spent a couple of hours looking around the vessel getting an idea of the scale of commercial shipping. The tour included the bridge, upper deck, machinery spaces and the car decks. For many of the students this is their first opportunity to go on board a commercial ship, so seeing these spaces gives them an idea of the complexity of the systems and structure and the sheer size of the vessel and the cargo decks.
MV Tortugas is specially designed to transport cars (Total capacity 6350 cars) and trucks but she also has the flexibility to carry project cargo and containers.
Lecturer in Naval Architecture, Georgie Keane comments: “As ever we are very grateful to DNV for their help it providing the students with this opportunity. Seeing the complexity and size of these vessels is the only way the students appreciated the scale of what they are to design.
Many come from a yachts, dingy, small craft background and have never been on board a commercial ship. The engine room in particular is full of necessary items of machinery and an engine which is 3 decks high. Until you see this you have no idea how it would all be laid out or the total space which is required.”