SS Norway post boiler explosion question

[coaster]

Just viewed a video on YouTube of my favorite ship and it was the SS Norway being towed from Miami after her unfortunate boiler explosion. Video showed crew onboard with power and essential services still intact. Amazed that these services were still active without engines running. Can any ship expert enlighten me as to how this was possible?

 

 

[stevenq99]

I would guess an undamaged boiler or generator.  Ships have many backup systems.

[chengkp75]

Only one of Norway's 4 boilers (left from the France's 8 boilers) exploded.  Since the Norway was not electric propelled (steam turbines), there were steam turbine generators to provide power, and so they were perhaps using one boiler to power a generator to provide hotel power but not propulsion.  There would also have been a diesel emergency generator.

[coaster]

36 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Only one of Norway's 4 boilers (left from the France's 8 boilers) exploded.  Since the Norway was not electric propelled (steam turbines), there were steam turbine generators to provide power, and so they were perhaps using one boiler to power a generator to provide hotel power but not propulsion.  There would also have been a diesel emergency generator.

Thank you for your technical insight. Love reading your posts as they clearly come from someone with a rich background into the inner workings of cruise ships.

[17cruisesnsl]

The Norway was a wonderful ship; so sad that such a great vessel's service had to end as it did.  She was the ship that made me fall in love with cruising, after two not so wonderful earlier experiences. 

[jagsfan]

The first time I sailed on Norway, I was tendering in to some port and looked back at her and thought she was the most beautiful ship ever. Much as I love cruising, modern ships just look to me like barges with cargo stacked as high as they can get it. 

[rsachek]

The generators were all diesel powered, separate from the main steam propulsion system. When the ship was first converted from France to Norway, the original steam generators were retained and proved to be extremely troublesome. The ship had several embarrassing breakdowns and interruptions. So at the first refit (1982, I believe), modern diesel generators were installed.

[chengkp75]

31 minutes ago, rsachek said:

The generators were all diesel powered, separate from the main steam propulsion system. When the ship was first converted from France to Norway, the original steam generators were retained and proved to be extremely troublesome. The ship had several embarrassing breakdowns and interruptions. So at the first refit (1982, I believe), modern diesel generators were installed.

Yeah, forgot about that.  That was the 1982 refit, which was two years after her conversion from SS France to SS Norway, and the removal of two propellers, one engine room and boiler room.  I don't remember the steam generators being problematic, but the diesels were certainly more fuel efficient, at a time when fuel was at very high levels.  They also renewed the propellers for more efficient ones and retubed 3 of the boilers.