Captain's yacht
- Thread starter Josh_Lyman
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Umm, what millennium do you live in? Everybody can be a Timo now, thanks to Google. 
I had to google for being doubly sure about the proper English names for the different sizes of boat - at which process I e.g. learned that the Royal Navy for the longest time hesitated nesting its boats in that manner, because they felt that removing the thwarts would weaken the craft. Now I just have to figure out a discussion where that bit of trivia can be flaunted...
Timo Saloniemi
I had to google for being doubly sure about the proper English names for the different sizes of boat - at which process I e.g. learned that the Royal Navy for the longest time hesitated nesting its boats in that manner, because they felt that removing the thwarts would weaken the craft. Now I just have to figure out a discussion where that bit of trivia can be flaunted...
Timo Saloniemi
Umm, what millennium do you live in? Everybody can be a Timo now, thanks to Google.
I had to google for being doubly sure about the proper English names for the different sizes of boat - at which process I e.g. learned that the Royal Navy for the longest time hesitated nesting its boats in that manner, because they felt that removing the thwarts would weaken the craft. Now I just have to figure out a discussion where that bit of trivia can be flaunted...
Timo Saloniemi
You just did.
^ 
I like that a lot. Really explains a lot of the rational behind having such a unique craft, aside from the obvious and somewhat anachronistic meritocracy reasons.
As does this. Thanks for the horse's mouth perspective, Andy.
I like that a lot. Really explains a lot of the rational behind having such a unique craft, aside from the obvious and somewhat anachronistic meritocracy reasons.
As does this. Thanks for the horse's mouth perspective, Andy.
Umm, what millennium do you live in? Everybody can be a Timo now, thanks to Google.
I had to google for being doubly sure about the proper English names for the different sizes of boat - at which process I e.g. learned that the Royal Navy for the longest time hesitated nesting its boats in that manner, because they felt that removing the thwarts would weaken the craft. Now I just have to figure out a discussion where that bit of trivia can be flaunted...
Timo Saloniemi
You just did.
...Now I wonder if anyone could explain why the Captain's Yacht is stored athwart rather than fore and aft. Does having the Yacht positioned that way strengthen the Enterprise's thwarts...? What happens to the Enterprise's thwarts while the yacht is away?
The yacht on the Enterprise-D is never seen, and indeed we can't be sure it ever existed. Perhaps it was left ashore, and a different piece of technology installed in its stead aboard that starship?
However, the way the E-D yacht is described would make it rather unsuitable for shuttle work. It's not equipped with powerful drive systems for spanning spatial distances, for example - rather, it's optimized for atmospheric maneuvering. What it most looks like is a deployable Federation embassy: a luxurious installation the starship can deploy on a planet to act as an office of diplomatic representation. A plausible and unique mission as such.
The E-E yacht, in sharp contrast, is apparently equipped with a very powerful drive system (including apparent warp engines) and large utilitarian holds capable of carrying significant freight. Not that the holds we saw would fill all the interior volume, of course, but there's still less room left for luxurious offices and the like.
FWIW, Andrew Probert's painting from last year shows the E-D yacht in close detail, including what looks like recessed warp drive units. Perhaps the inability to travel meaningful interplanetary let alone interstellar distances is mere disinformation in the TNG Tech Manual?
Timo Saloniemi
The yacht intended for the Galaxy class probably wasn't even installed on the ENT-D or most other sister ships since it's next-to-useless.
Voyager was supposed to have a captain's yatcht-type shuttle on the bottom of it's saucer too. Since it never was utilized and competely ignored on every episode throughout the entire series, we can assume that it was never there, or it got damaged when the Caretaker transported Voyager into the Dela Quadrant, though everything else on Voy is easily fixable.
Of course it was there, it's clearly visible on the model. The writers just forgot all about it.
Voyager had a similar craft but the creators "ret-conned" it away saying that it wasn't installed but that a hull-plate was there that simply LOOKED like the ship was docked.
I see no reason why the -D's captains yacht wouldn't of been there. Enterprise was state of the art, new, and in Federation space. It makes no sense for Calypso to not be in its berth.
Well, it was the first episode so we've got to give them some slack.
But by the time "Darmok" rolled around they should've known not to have phaser beams come out of the damn torpedo tube.
But by the time "Darmok" rolled around they should've known not to have phaser beams come out of the damn torpedo tube.
I think that was due to a time constraint forcing them to contract that shot out to a company that wasn't as familiar with the show.
I like to fit the real world explanations for things into the fictional world so let's just say some torpedo bay repairs got subcontracted out to some Pakled's as political appeasement for a rather embarassing comment made in the press by one Commander William Riker.
Someone at Starfleet R&D who stayed up too late one night and thought the phrase went "function follows form"?
I like to fit the real world explanations for things into the fictional world so let's just say some torpedo bay repairs got subcontracted out to some Pakled's as political appeasement for a rather embarassing comment made in the press by one Commander William Riker.
Someone at Starfleet R&D who stayed up too late one night and thought the phrase went "function follows form"?
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We could argue that up till the Farpoint mission, the E-D was scheduled to perform exploration in uncharted space. For this, the ship didn't need all the diplomatic amenities that were available as optional extras; instead, the Yacht berth was filled with something a bit more functional, such as this fancy energy emitter.
After Farpoint and the encounter with Q, the exploration mission was apparently scrapped: the ship wasn't shown doing any sort of going-to-new-places for a year or so. There was an impression of a shakedown period, with frequent pit stops, upgrades and related doubts on the ship's performance. Perhaps the Yacht was finally installed during or at the end of this period, when it was decided the E-D would serve as the diplomatic flagship of the Federation rather than a frontline explorer?
When was it that we first heard that the E-D would be the Federation Flagship? Is it "Icarus Factor", as Memory Alpha suggests? (They say "Starfleet Flagship" there, though.)
Timo Saloniemi
After Farpoint and the encounter with Q, the exploration mission was apparently scrapped: the ship wasn't shown doing any sort of going-to-new-places for a year or so. There was an impression of a shakedown period, with frequent pit stops, upgrades and related doubts on the ship's performance. Perhaps the Yacht was finally installed during or at the end of this period, when it was decided the E-D would serve as the diplomatic flagship of the Federation rather than a frontline explorer?
When was it that we first heard that the E-D would be the Federation Flagship? Is it "Icarus Factor", as Memory Alpha suggests? (They say "Starfleet Flagship" there, though.)
Timo Saloniemi
I would think you'd want it in such a role to assist in the inevitable First Contacts.
...Only if it was of practical assistance. If it's only for traditional Starfleet or Federation ceremonies, then perhaps those can wait until the first contact team has done its bit and the celebrations begin.
Granted that the utilizability of that mollusk-feeder is a bit dubious. But the belly socket is a nice place for relatively large swappable hardware. What would you install there if you could? An alternate Yacht, perhaps - a big armored sub-impulse barge for landing troops. Or some exotic sensor that doesn't fit in the saucer or stardrive rim slots. Or, for the Dominion War, a quantum torpedo turret similar to the E-E unit.
Timo Saloniemi
Granted that the utilizability of that mollusk-feeder is a bit dubious. But the belly socket is a nice place for relatively large swappable hardware. What would you install there if you could? An alternate Yacht, perhaps - a big armored sub-impulse barge for landing troops. Or some exotic sensor that doesn't fit in the saucer or stardrive rim slots. Or, for the Dominion War, a quantum torpedo turret similar to the E-E unit.
Timo Saloniemi
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