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Type Y - The Yacht

Mithras said:
Nice idea...
But having been to Naples and Capri, I've seen those massive yachts parked up, Europe's ultra-elite showing off. Crowds of people promenading past them. I saw one unique design, in the Bay of Naples, looking like a white submarine. Eye-catching!

I've never used the type Y, BUT I have used the type K safari ship as a yacht instead.

1) aerodynamic
2) looks great
3) onboard suite
4) jump 2
5) air/raft & launch for excursions
6) deckplan includes porch and large observation windows
7) capture tanks become reconfiguable space...
Click to expand...

High-level nobles wouldn't be satisfied with J2, surely...
 
The type-Y is very much for the for the wealthy with a small "w", the "average" millionaire worth maybe 100 mill or so, the kind for whom 2 and a half million a year is affordable - so most likely it's the more common one players will see, there being a lot more people worth 100 million than worth 100 billion. There might even be quite a few not-quite-so-rich roughing it in little 100-ton jobbers, and I expect there's a going market for nicely equipped launches and ship's boat sized yachts for the mildly rich for whom going into orbit on their own dime and enjoying the view is as good as they'll get.

However, even here in ancient Terra there are a handful of folk with the means to plunk down the goods for yachts in the half-billion dollar range, and Traveller is a universe with folk that make oil sheiks look like hoboes, so I wouldn't be too surprised to see a lot of 400-600 ton yachts and even some yachts in the 2000 ton plus range. After all, if you're gonna go visiting, you really should take your staff and security team with you; the chef needs his kitchen staff if he's going to feed you in the manner you expect, the personal secretary needs his aides, and by the time you've added it all up, you need quite a bit of ship to carry it all. The Tukeras would consider a 200-ton yacht to be a Volkswagen.
 
Just wonder why we use wet yacht rather than corporate jet as reference.

The constraints seem to me to be more alike to those of a jet than those of a ship and therefore less glamour and style could be thrown into a spaceship's look that can for a floating trophy.

That also answer the "standard" issue. Even if you are the oil sheik that got an Airbus 380 as private jet, no matter the millions you used to customize the inside like hell, you can't turn it into a biplane just because you'd like a retro look to your new toy. The most powerfull man on this planet fly Air Force One, I am sure it does have few "special" features, but it start with a basic plane type. Yacht are like Private jets: mostly customized inside.

Selandia
 
Selandia said:
Just wonder why we use wet yacht rather than corporate jet as reference.
Click to expand...

Because some people actually live on their yachts, while few people spend more than half a day aboard a corporate jet.

The basic requirement set for a Traveller space yacht is that it's (1) a functional spacecraft (2) with jump capability. This requires that it have relatively full-scale food prep and habitation, satisfactory for at least 9 days at a shot, and being in continuous operation and occupation for that time.

Corporate jets often have sleeping chambers, but usually also have very limited food prep, and are not intended for week-long plus habitation. Most can't operate more than 12 hours without refuel, and so reprovisioning is seldom delayed more than 2-3 refuels.

The Corporate Jet, simply put, isn't a good match to the needs of a space-yacht. A water yacht is a much better, but still not exact, match.
 
If there's any interstellar equivalent of a corporate jet in Traveller, I think it would be something like Tukera's Long Liner -- a Jump-4, 1,000t passenger carrier.
 
Gray Pennell said:
A jet is more appropriate for a star system transportation. Imagine a 1000 person shuttle going 5 g to a parked jump liner.
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No. It's only more suitable for orbital. In system travel times are measured in days at 1G. Half the year, it's faster to jump to Mars than get there at 1G.
 
aramis said:
No. It's only more suitable for orbital. In system travel times are measured in days at 1G. Half the year, it's faster to jump to Mars than get there at 1G.
Click to expand...

That's an interesting point... perhaps for built-up star systems there are corporate insystem jump-ships, just jump-1 engines and room for a dozen passengers and light cargo?
 
I would have thought most businesses would simply send their representatives via a commercial liner using a high passage option.

Megacorporation or planetary size corporations might well have corporate starships at their disposal, especially for their more senior executives. An executive style J3 yacht would fit that niche nicely.

This would echo what happens in the now with most business travel utilising commercial aircraft.
 
The jump idea works when you have to longer than 5 days out + 100D travel time. So this like an airplane is for the orbit to moon or near planet astroids and 4 or less day trips.
 
Gray Pennell said:
The jump idea works when you have to longer than 5 days out + 100D travel time. So this like an airplane is for the orbit to moon or near planet astroids and 4 or less day trips.
Click to expand...

Those trips past 24 hours are unlikely to be like airplane travel. More like train travel, perhaps, but not like planes. Anything past 2 days, you can reasonably expect staterooms.

Planes: You board, you take your seat, you stay there until journey end.

Ships: you board, you stow your stuff, you try to avoid being in the way of the crew while fighting boredom. Entertainment is often provided. On tramps, some passengers get a bit stir crazy, and some crews have been known to let them push a mop or clean the brightwork just to keep them busy. You hae assigned quarters, but are not usually required to be in them. Common spaces are provided (on tramps, the wardroom, and sometimes a section of the deck; on liners, casinos, gymnasia, theaters, etc.)

Train, short term: you board, take a seat, much like an airplane. You can go to the dining car, but you're expected to be in either your seat or the diner or the head.

Train, mid term (several days): you board, find your compartment, and alternate between the compartment, the head, and the dining and observation cars. Entertainment isn't provided on many, but some luxury runs have an entertainment car - a narrow but decent performance venue. Passengers are allowed to associate with other passengers, including joining them in their compartments if invited.
 
Sidebar; at one time I was going to transfer to San Jose state to enroll in the only aerospace program left in the world at that time, that offered curricula on derrigible design. It was going to be the next big thing back in 1995.

Due to circumstances beyond my control I could not transfer, and alas never took any engineering courses in "blimp design" and manufacture.

Still, I think air ships as a luxury cruise item still have some value.
 
The blimps are pretty poor for space yacht designs - lots of seating, very little space to sleep. They are intended for a "local hosting" kind of experience, not a multi-day multiple passenger.
 
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