Wonder dry dock?

[OKW Lover]

A few comments later the Panama Canal issue was brought up and he did say that if the Canal update is late and the Wonder gets the duck tail that the Magic has, it will not fit through the old canal.

I wonder what benefit the duck tail would have. I understood (perhaps erroneously) that this was needed to counter some of the changes that were made to the Magic to incorporate the AquaDunk. If they decided not to add the AquaDunk I wonder if the duck tail would still be needed. IMHO, the AquaDunk is just a poor relation to the AquaDuck on the newer ships.

 

[truck1]

I wonder what benefit the duck tail would have. I understood (perhaps erroneously) that this was needed to counter some of the changes that were made to the Magic to incorporate the AquaDunk. If they decided not to add the AquaDunk I wonder if the duck tail would still be needed. IMHO, the AquaDunk is just a poor relation to the AquaDuck on the newer ships.

The ducktail has a few advantages.
1 is changing the center of gravity. SOLAS and a few other organizations basically say that the ships cog, needs to be within certain parameters. By adding weight to the top of the ship, (and the Wonder already has a little more then the Magic due to the closing in of the Outlook Café) the cog gravity rises. The ducktail keeps it low where it needs to be.
2. It reduces the squatting effect of the ship. When the ships run at full speed, the ship tends to sit lower in the water. By adding the ducktail, the ship doesn't sit as low in the water, reducing drag, and thereby saving fuel.

Now lets just say for arguments sake that the locks are going to take a significant delay. DCL decides the Wonder doesn't get the Ducktail. They can still do the other change overs, like changing BBB(or Topsiders I honestly forget which is which) to Cabanas, Parrot Cay to Cariocas etc. As long as what they do doesn't change the cog they wont have to. They can add the Aquadunk at a later drydock.

I don't think that the Aquadunk was meant to relate to the A/D on the Dream class. I think that since they couldn't do the full A/D they went for something similar to what RCL and NCL are putting on their ships.

 

[OKW Lover]

Appreciate the good info @truck1

 

[truck1]

Appreciate the good info @truck1

Your welcome. I love digging into the technical details on things. That and there's a lot of similarities to what I do and what goes on on a ship.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Your welcome. I love digging into the technical details on things. That and there's a lot of similarities to what I do and what goes on on a ship.

I love reading your and @Tonka's Skipper posts! They are always so informative, thanks gentlemen.

 

[UK-Simon]

That's a popular rumor for while now. Scott at the DCLblog found articles from the ship yard saying that the Wonder is going there for her major refit. DCL has a few options regarding yards and whos doing what. The 3 yards that come to immediate mind are in no particular order, Freeport, Bahamas, Cadiz Spain, BAE in Va, and a yard in Vancouver. Realistically BAE is probably out since DCL had a hard time getting the necessary work visas for the crews coming from overseas. That leaves Freeport and Cadiz in the east, and Vancouver in the west. Freeport has a past hx with DCL and now Cadiz does also, but both yards have done as much damage during a drydock period as they fixed.

I heard from several crew (including one that we know very well) that they are headed to Spain. He was discussing what his contract would look like around the dry dock. Not that that's proof or anything but it seemed like it was common knowledge with the crew. I'd be stunned if it's Vancouver because she wouldn't sail EB through the Panama Canal after this years Alaska. I guess time will tell!

 

[truck1]

I heard from several crew (including one that we know very well) that they are headed to Spain. He was discussing what his contract would look like around the dry dock. Not that that's proof or anything but it seemed like it was common knowledge with the crew. I'd be stunned if it's Vancouver because she wouldn't sail EB through the Panama Canal after this years Alaska. I guess time will tell!

Its entirely possible shes going to Spain. I think a lot hinges on what happens with the canal. One thing though I don't put too much trust in what the crew says, since they are usually the last to know, though in the drydock case it could be a different story, since some crew come off the ship and head shore side or home. When it comes to other rumors, rearding say where is the ship heading next, or what actually is going to be done to the ship, unless it comes from a bridge officer or someone from engineering, I wouldn't put too much faith in it.

 

[Snowwhyt]

I know I'm late to the party...but could this be the last Alaska year for what reason? Does it effect all Alaska ports if the duck tail is applied? If the ship is higher then is it too long? Don't larger ships then magic/wonder visit Alaska? What can't magic do now that only wonder can?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I know I'm late to the party...but could this be the last Alaska year for what reason? Does it effect all Alaska ports if the duck tail is applied? If the ship is higher then is it too long? Don't larger ships then magic/wonder visit Alaska? What can't magic do now that only wonder can?

The duck tail addition only affects the travel through the Panama Canal. It doesn't affect what port (in Alaska, or otherwise) the ship can go into.

The Wonder can currently fit through the "old" locks in the canal. The Magic can't (well, except for a one-time exception).

 

[Winston Wolf]

As I understand it, Dream/Wonder with a ducktail COULD fit through the old canal, but would require some extra handling to do so.

That said, the Canal looks to be completed very shortly as they overcame their leaking issues on one of the gates. I'll be stunned if the drydock doesn't move forward as planned for 9/9 - 11/9 in Cadiz, Spain.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

As I understand it, Dream/Wonder with a ducktail COULD fit through the old canal, but would require some extra handling to do so.

That said, the Canal looks to be completed very shortly as they overcame their leaking issues on one of the gates. I'll be stunned if the drydock doesn't move forward as planned for 9/9 - 11/9 in Cadiz, Spain.

Yes, technically she could fit through, with an exemption. But those are only one-time exemptions. So, unless the new locks were in use by the time she needed to come back through, she'd be "stuck" on the west coast.

 

[RAD]

IIRC someone in another thread said that they thought the new locks could handle the Dream/Fantasy there was then a problem with both ships being too tall to fit under the Bridge of the Americas preventing them from using the canal.

 

[OKW Lover]

IIRC someone in another thread said that they thought the new locks could handle the Dream/Fantasy there was then a problem with both ships being too tall to fit under the Bridge of the Americas preventing them from using the canal.

Doing some searching on line and found this document from Disney indicating that the air draft of the Dream (and presumably the Fantasy) is 188'. I understand the limit for the bridge is 201' - found that somewhere but can't remember where.

 

[truck1]

The Dream class won't have an issue woth the new locks. The Oasis class and the Epic are too tall.

 

[truck1]

Sorry, was at work and it was a hit and run response. The air draft of the Bridge of Americas is 190'.205' at mean low water. (translates to the average low tides in a set period.) Another way a ship gets around the air draft is speed. The faster a ship travels, in a shallow area, the lower the ship gets in the water. They will also ballast a ship (take on water) to help the ship sit lower to give them a wider margin of error. 2 feet may sound like a lot, but after burning off fuel, someone not reading the ruler right, or misjudging the center of the span, that can ruin someones day. Oasis of the Seas, has a air draft of 236 feet. Even with her telescoping funnels, she cleared a 213 foot bridge in Denmark, with less then 2 feet to spare. That still puts it 6 feet taller then the air draft of the Bridge of Americas.

 

[redsonja76]

I just really want the wonder in alaska 2017 because of my place holder

 

[ForMyBoys]

I realize this is an old post but I'm planning an Alaskan 2017 vacation and was surprised to read that they may consider no Alaska for summer 2017. I guess we will find out when the new schedule comes out.

Now this is totally speculation but in another thread I read that the Wonder will go to Mazatlan in Oct 2017. If they can get a one time exception to go through the canal but could only get back through once the new canal construction is finished do you think they planned the additional West Coast sailings to buy more time for the canal to be completed? This would seem to indicate that they would plan to add the duck tail AND do the Alaskan sailings. Thoughts?

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I realize this is an old post but I'm planning an Alaskan 2017 vacation and was surprised to read that they may consider no Alaska for summer 2017. I guess we will find out when the new schedule comes out.

Now this is totally speculation but in another thread I read that the Wonder will go to Mazatlan in Oct 2017. If they can get a one time exception to go through the canal but could only get back through once the new canal construction is finished do you think they planned the additional West Coast sailings to buy more time for the canal to be completed? This would seem to indicate that they would plan to add the duck tail AND do the Alaskan sailings. Thoughts?

The problem with a crack in one of the step walls of a new locks has been repaired, so right now it should not be a problem regarding the locks and getting in the shipyard period scheduled for Sept/ Oct 2017.

AKK

 

[truck1]

As I understand it, Dream/Wonder with a ducktail COULD fit through the old canal, but would require some extra handling to do so.

That said, the Canal looks to be completed very shortly as they overcame their leaking issues on one of the gates. I'll be stunned if the drydock doesn't move forward as planned for 9/9 - 11/9 in Cadiz, Spain.

There was another issue that hasn't come to light yet and I'd be surprised if its let go. Then again nothing this contractor has done surprises me.

 

[Fathawkeye]

What issue hasn't come to light yet? I'm on the wonder in December - looking forward to a newly done ship!