STaqua
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STaqua is the Community corporation in Sober Thought which serves as the publicly owned ocean-going ferry and shipping line for people, vehicles and goods.
Contents
Political economy
Its sole shareholders are five Sober Thought governments. The federation’s component is concurrently organised as a Chief Directorate in the Vice Ministry of Transport in the Ministry of Community Connections. The corporate name suggests "Sober Thought Water" in English and "Société des transports aquatiques" in French. Its corporate logo consists of the Sober Thought national owl above waves.
Although not every passenger route is expected to make a profit, all the cargo ones are. In total, STaqua is expected to contribute a modest profit to the coffers of the federal and provincial governments. General Sober Thought labour-management relations apply to STaqua, but both parties tend to be blunter and more confrontational on land and more practical and cooperative at sea.
Unlike many real world countries, Sober Thought does not tolerate flags of convenience such as those of Panama and Liberia. These false flagged ships under the practical control of a company in one country but are registered in another country to avoid labour laws, safety standards, pollution controls, taxation or other regulation. In contrast, Sober Thought requires all ships which embark the majority of their cargoes, passengers or both in domestic ports to be registered here or in the nation in which it conducts the second most frequent embarkations.
Passenger and vehicle vessels
The main connection most residents of the country have to STaqua is the regular ferry service linking the mainland with Braunekuste's Potato Island and the province of Bristle Island. Coastal ferries also link major seaports on the south and west coasts of the mainland, including those in Central Province and Hochelaga.
These routes are served by roll on, roll off ferries or ROROs designed for shorthauls between two ports on routes which expect a quick turnover. Doors opening at the stern and bow allow vehicles and shipping containers carried by vehicles to drive into the lower hull of the ferry and then to drive out again at the other end. Passengers are accommodated in the upper hull and open deck.
The corporation also runs passenger cruises in territorial waters and to other members of the International Democratic Union. The domestically built civilian cruise ship is 380 m long, displaces 30 000 tonnes, requires a crew of 800, and accommodates 200 first-class and 1 200 second-class tourists. Typical ports of call are in the International Democratic Union littoral.
Container ships
As in the real world, intermodal transportation is facilitated by the adoption of standard sizes of containers carried by ships, aircraft, railways and motor vehicles. The same container can be loaded sealed and intact without repackaging from one transportation mode to the next. Pending the adoption of a regional or NS UN standard, Sober Thought uses the following standard sizes of containers:
- 3 m long by 2.5 m wide by 3 m tall (22.5 m3), common for airfreight
- 6 m long by 2.5 m wide by 3 m tall (45 m3), a.k.a. Six-metre Equivalent Units or SEU
- 12 m long by 2.5 m wide by 3 m tall (90 m3), most common for rail, road and ship freight now (previously SEUs)
- 12 m long by 2.5 m wide by 6 m tall (180 m3)
- 12 m long by 5 m wide by 3 m tall (180 m3), common for Community Defence Forces’ armour
- 18 m long by 2.5 m wide by 3 m tall (135 m3)
- 18 m long by 2.5 m wide by 6 m tall (270 m3)
- 18 m long by 5 m wide by 3 m tall (270 m3)
- 18 m long by 5 m wide by 6 m tall (540 m3)
Most container ships are propelled by diesel engines, and have crews of between 20 and 40 people. They generally have a large accommodation block at the stern, directly above the engine room. Container ships with capacities up to 2,900 SEUs or about 60 000 tonnes are often equipped with their own cranes, and can have civilian or second-line naval applications. STaqua and container ships and Naval Reserve auxiliaries are modeled on the RL:
- 1972 Tokyo Bay 289.32 m 32.26 m 2961 TFE 58889 t OCL then P&O/GB
- 1971 Kamakura Maru 290.00 m 32.20 m 2500 TFE 59000 t NYK/Japan.
Extra large container ships, with about 90 000 tonnes and 8 000 SEUs, have civilian or third-line naval applications only because they require a functioning port with suitable onsite crane to offload containers. These STaqua and export ships are modelled on the RL:
- 2003 Axel Maersk 352.10 m 42.80 m ~8300 TFE 93496 t Maersk Sealand/Denmark
- 1997 Sovereign Maersk 346.98 m 42.80 m ~7300 TFE 91500 t Maersk Line/Denmark
- 1996 Regina Maersk 318.24 m 42.80 m ~6500 TFE 80500 t Maersk Line/Denmark.
Bulk and liquid transport ships
Not all items are suitable for shipping containers, including bulk dry goods. Metal ores, metal pellets, coal lumps or bricks, raw grain and powdered goods are best transported by purpose-built and good-specific dry goods carriers. These typically have several holds to compartmentalise the cargo and keep the weight from shifting, but are loaded by gravity-fed bulk commodity elevators and unloaded by large port-provided vacuums.
Liquid wet goods, chiefly raw and refined petroleum products but also increasingly potable water, are best carried in purpose-built and good-specific liquid goods carriers. Water tankers must preserve their cargo from contamination by saltwater and oil residue or spills. Gasoline or other refined fuels must preserve their cargo from ignition and ship mishaps. Crude oil and other unrefined fuels are not actually all that combustible, but are famously prone to spills and wrecks.
Unlike the smaller container ship traffic, both of these types of ships require reliable and safe port facilities to load and unload cargo.
Like most RL and some NS nations, Sober Thought has a Naval Reserve as part of its CDF Naval Service. Practically all the ocean-going and shore-based civilian staff of STaqua hold ranks in the Naval Reserve and can be called to active service on short notice. If the federal government approves a declaration of war, naval and air veterans can be conscripted into the Naval Reserve and merchant marine vessels commandeered.
The individual ready reserve can be used to shift civilian mariners into openings on naval vessels of all sizes from patrol boat to aircraft carrier. Similarly, the Naval Reserve provides most of the crews on corvettes, small but effective anti-submarine warships which are manufactured in large numbers only during wartime.
However, many Naval Reservists never leave their ships when called to active duty because the ships they normally crew are also pressed into naval service. RORO ferries are converted to naval purposes by the simple expedient of removing the flimsy observation superstructure to allow for storage of containers and aircraft on the deck.
Cruise ships are already the civilian variant of the Naval Service troopships, so they can be quickly converted back to their naval configuration and trimming the 300 crew who are responsible for purely creature comforts. The hundred first-class cabins accommodate sixteen soldiers each, the three hundred second-class cabins accommodate eight soldiers each, the three hundred crew slots accommodate two soldiers each and conversion of some of the common areas accommodates at least four hundred more soldiers. Heavy equipment and supplies fill the rest of the common areas and cargo holds so that an entire brigade group can move on one cruise ship-cum-troopship.
Ships carrying less than 3 000 SEUs, displacing less than 60 000 tonnes and equipped with their own cranes are most prized as commandeered vessels. A 12 m long by 5 m wide by 3 m tall (180 m3) container could enclose a single fully assembled armoured vehicle such as a main battle tank; while an 18 m long by 5 m wide by 3 m tall (270 m3) container could enclose two partially disassembled armoured vehicles. Ships carrying about 8 000 SEUs, displacing bout 90 000 tonnes and lacking their own cranes have only third-line naval applications.
Refined fuel tankers also have vital uses for the Community Defence Forces, refuelling naval ships, aircraft and motor vehicles.
