Useless Westerdam Info

[Boytjie]

Pilotdane is correct, seawater is evaporated and then condensed again. As only part of the seawater is evaporated, the remaining water is just more salty than it was originally.

 

Depending on the amount of engines running, engine cooling water is used to heat the seawater. As the cooling water of the engines typically is only about 85degrees celcius, it normally won't make the seawater boil. But by reducing the pressure in the evaporator (sucking it vacuum) the temperature at which water starts to boil is reduced, so it will start boiling at the lower temperature.

 

If not enough engines are running, we can use steam from the boiler to heat the seawater. This will cost fuel, which increases the price of the water made.

 

Note that depending on the sailing area of the ship, it can be cheaper to buy water from the shoreside than it is to make it ourselves. Alaska for instance has an abundance of fresh water available, so prices are lower per m3 than it is to make it ourselves.

 

Thanks for the explanations. I am assuming the saltier water gets pumped back in to the ocean?

 

I have read before that water is sometimes purchased on land.

[docksider21]

 

The ship can make 1'700 tons (425'000 gallons) of fresh water per day but they ship uses about 750 tons (187'500 gallons) per day.

 

 

If the ship can make more water than it uses, why

buy water from ashore? Unless there is not enough

heat capacity and it is more economical to buy it.

[manbehindthecurtain]

If the ship can make more water than it uses, why

buy water from ashore? Unless there is not enough

heat capacity and it is more economical to buy it.

 

This number is based on a full day at sea, with sufficient engines running. On a port-intensive cruise there is a good chance that the ship cannot make enough water and will have to buy water locally (depending on availability).

[RevNeal]

The gas turbine is maintained in running condition and is tested periodically but not actually used. It burns too much fuel. It was installed in case Alaska enacts tough regulations about visible smoke emissions. The turbine makes almost no visible smoke when running.

 

According to Captain Jack van Coevorden, the only time the Gas Turbine engine has been used on any Vista ship in the performance of actual operations was in the Fall of 2005 when the Westerdam was running from Hurricane Beta and had to make a detour in order to perform a mid-ocean rescue of a sinking boat. I was aboard for that cruise and it was a WILD ride. It was on that occasion that the Westerdam managed to obtain the fastest recorded velocity for a Vista ship (a record that, I'm told, still holds). I don't remember how many knots it was, but it was printed on the "Voyage Log" at the end of the Cruise and that it was a record for the class of ship was noted.

[pilotdane]

I would love to know what the record speed was if you ever dig out your cruise log.

 

When we were aboard Westerdam was doing over 20 knots on about 10 MW per pod. I can imagine what the full 17.6 MW would do. I bet it was quite a view looking over the rail on the Prominade Deck aft.