What remains powered on a ship after a powerplant failure?

[Anonymous]

Saturation divers can be weeks underwater. They have to slowly acclimatise to the pressure over many days. These are the guys that repair oilrigs and pipelines.

They live in a sealed chamber where the pressure is slowly adjusted over days or weeks then they can go out in a suit and do the job. The chamber can be on the surface and lowered, or it can be permanently underwater. Similar time is required to return to normal life.

It's often said that we know less about the depths of the ocean than we do about space.

Space is the most deadly place humans can be. There is no air, heat, or gravity. Submarines are a close analogy, but also they are not. Today the only people who spend long terms underwater are military personnel. Civilian submarines are designed for very short-term use. Even submarines are pretty well compartmentalized, though within each compartment there is no attempt to build redundancy into the compartment itself since it could not withstand the pressure.

 

[phavoc]

Yes, but these are basically single rooms, some cramped, other just small. I've heard it compared to people living in a restaurant booth.

It's also a very niche industry with a tiny number of people in it.

 

[Condottiere]

There's no reason that staterooms can't be self contained safe rooms, and probably private yachts have that integrated.

But for ships that tend to rearrange internal compartments, and owners looking to safe a buck, they'll stick to mandated safety protocols. Mostly.

 

[Anonymous]

There's no reason that staterooms can't be self contained safe rooms, and probably private yachts have that integrated.

But for ships that tend to rearrange internal compartments, and owners looking to safe a buck, they'll stick to mandated safety protocols. Mostly.

I agree that it should be possible.

I note that ship price is heavily linked to volume assuming similar drive performance, and if so then in universe, you'd pay a large premium for larger internal volume, as that means a bigger boat or lower range, so it may not be standard on a low-end, off the shelf, yacht like the Type-Y. However the custom ones may have it at the owner's discretion. Or perhaps the type-Y would have it on a single stateroom only.

I often think that ships might have an airtight "rescue room" they can take refuge in if the drives all fail. Such a compartment may have a few days life support and an emergency radio. Or perhaps they would just take to a lifeboat? Except that I don't see lifeboats on the Free Trader. The yacht does have a launch, though. I wonder if you can live in the Yacht's "all environment" ATV in vacuum? That must be why they have those instead of a heavy air-raft

 

[Linwood]

I would expect some owners to insist on a backup power supply to keep the wine properly chilled. One has to keep one’s priorities straight after all...

 

[Anonymous]

I would expect some owners to insist on a backup power supply to keep the wine properly chilled. One has to keep one’s priorities straight after all...

There are stories...

But no power means the toilet flushes don't work either so you don't wanna drink too much of that wine.

 

[Condottiere]

Suction can be arranged; you just need to divert some plumbing to an outside port.

 

[Anonymous]

Probably also want an airlock in the system if you're doing that.