Piloting passenger liners

Southampton's Ocean Terminal was famous during the 1930s as the embarkation point for luxurious Blue Riband transatlantic liners such as the RMS Queen Mary, which was regarded as the Concorde of her day. This iconic ship was propelled by steam turbines capable of producing 150,000 shaft horsepower, delivered by shafts to four massive propellers. The Ocean Terminal has more recently played host to some equally spectacular vessels, but these are more notable for their massive size and improved bridge control rather than their raw power. These modern vessels use variablespeed electric drive, which provides improved bridge control, so the ships can maintain position off the coast without anchors and enter and leave port with little assistance from tugs. But electric drive also permits greater flexibility in ship layout, and improved propulsion efficiency.