the captains private yacht, throughout each series we've seen the enterprise-d and voyager both have a captains yacht. and the only time we see one in action is in the movie "insurrection". (presumably cousin classes like nebula have them as well) i know that during the tng series they talked about using the captains yacht, though they opt out. what's the story on voyager's yacht? and why hasn't either been brought up during any series?
least used ship in starfleet
- Thread starter BlackFire3
- Start date
Why havent they been used or brought up? Because the story never called for it, and if it did, the expense involved made it make more sense to just use a shuttle. Insurrection's bigger budget allowed them to use the yacht for the only time.
Personally, I never liked the idea. It just seemed like too much of a waste of resources, since a shuttle (or perhaps a runabout) could accomplish whatever we've been told a yacht could do.
I also figure if the captain had his own such vessel, it would be called a "gig" and not a "yacht."
Personally, I never liked the idea. It just seemed like too much of a waste of resources, since a shuttle (or perhaps a runabout) could accomplish whatever we've been told a yacht could do.
I also figure if the captain had his own such vessel, it would be called a "gig" and not a "yacht."
There was a plan to use the Enterprise D's captain's yacht in the second season episode Samaritan Snare where Picard and Wesley are travelling to a starbase. It was ultimately abandoned since they didn't have the budget to build the model, so they used a regular shuttlecraft instead.
As for Voyager's aeroshuttle, I don't really know. It obviously wasn't a production thing, they built new sets for the Delta Flyer and a CG mesh of it, so if they wanted to they could have done the same for the aeroshuttle. I know a story-related reason has since been created saying Voyager was launched before its aeroshuttle could have been installed, and the area beneath the saucer was patched up, but that isn't necessarily canon. It's a shame we never saw it, it really is a cool design. The closest we ever got was seeing a diagram of it in Mr Daniels's database in Enterprise.
As for Voyager's aeroshuttle, I don't really know. It obviously wasn't a production thing, they built new sets for the Delta Flyer and a CG mesh of it, so if they wanted to they could have done the same for the aeroshuttle. I know a story-related reason has since been created saying Voyager was launched before its aeroshuttle could have been installed, and the area beneath the saucer was patched up, but that isn't necessarily canon. It's a shame we never saw it, it really is a cool design. The closest we ever got was seeing a diagram of it in Mr Daniels's database in Enterprise.
We might argue that the E-D never had a Captain's Yacht. After all, the backstage material (TNG Tech Manual, Andrew Probert's artwork) indicates that such a yacht would be mounted at the bottom of the saucer, but "Encounter at Farpoint" establishes that the E-D has some sort of an energy beam there instead.
Perhaps the Yamato and the Odyssey had Captain's Yachts for missions of diplomatic representation, but the Enterprise was completely dedicated to such missions herself and didn't need to carry a separate craft for the function... Other Galaxy and Nebula ships may have carried other types of equipment in that saucer-bottom berth, ranging from gun turrets to special sensors to deployable laboratories etc.
The ship did sail out rather hastily, apparently, so this rationalization would make quite a bit of sense.
OTOH, the thing dangling below Voyager was never really supposed to be a Captain's Yacht, not in the same sense as the E-D craft. The TNG Tech Man describes the Captain's Yacth as a luxurious interplanetary/atmospheric vehicle, essentially a flying office or embassy; the VOY equivalent was described as having warp capability and utilitarian features. Of course, the E-E saucer-bottom auxiliary also had warp capability and utilitarian features, including austere interiors... And was canonically referred to as the Captain's Yacht in dialogue.
Timo Saloniemi
Perhaps the Yamato and the Odyssey had Captain's Yachts for missions of diplomatic representation, but the Enterprise was completely dedicated to such missions herself and didn't need to carry a separate craft for the function... Other Galaxy and Nebula ships may have carried other types of equipment in that saucer-bottom berth, ranging from gun turrets to special sensors to deployable laboratories etc.
The ship did sail out rather hastily, apparently, so this rationalization would make quite a bit of sense.
OTOH, the thing dangling below Voyager was never really supposed to be a Captain's Yacht, not in the same sense as the E-D craft. The TNG Tech Man describes the Captain's Yacth as a luxurious interplanetary/atmospheric vehicle, essentially a flying office or embassy; the VOY equivalent was described as having warp capability and utilitarian features. Of course, the E-E saucer-bottom auxiliary also had warp capability and utilitarian features, including austere interiors... And was canonically referred to as the Captain's Yacht in dialogue.
Timo Saloniemi
True, but First Contact showed the Enterprise E firing torpedoes from the same location that Insurrection established was where the captain's yacht was kept.
...And the designers then went to considerable effort to show how the two things could coexist in ST:INS. It's possible the E-D Yacht also had some provision for the energy beam (perhaps it was actually donut-shaped, with the hole in the middle accommodating the emitter tower?), but that design retcon effort was never made.
A random thought: the interior sets would probably have been cheap reworkings of existing TNG cabin sets, as the TNG Tech Manual treatise of this thing seems to cater for just this possibility. The same slanted walls, sliding doors and even furniture would have been appropriate for the interior. Just move one of the existing helm consoles to a suitable position next to a porthole and voilá...
The model would probably also have been simplicity itself: a classic flying saucer shape that could be derived from whatever kitchenware happened to be available. Given even a little bit of lead time, it's difficult to see how this could have been a crucial cost issue.
Then again, if there was no actual incentive for doing the new model, even the meager amount of time and money would have been better spent on creating alien starships and improved interiors.
Timo Saloniemi
A random thought: the interior sets would probably have been cheap reworkings of existing TNG cabin sets, as the TNG Tech Manual treatise of this thing seems to cater for just this possibility. The same slanted walls, sliding doors and even furniture would have been appropriate for the interior. Just move one of the existing helm consoles to a suitable position next to a porthole and voilá...
The model would probably also have been simplicity itself: a classic flying saucer shape that could be derived from whatever kitchenware happened to be available. Given even a little bit of lead time, it's difficult to see how this could have been a crucial cost issue.
Then again, if there was no actual incentive for doing the new model, even the meager amount of time and money would have been better spent on creating alien starships and improved interiors.
Timo Saloniemi
also apparently the intrepid-class's aeroshuttle was essentially a reworked runabout. so if they wanted to, they could just use an existing internal sets with some slight mods.
Oddly enough, when the script finally called for it in Voyager they wound up building an entirely new ship from scratch instead of using the aeroshuttle that they had already built into the model.
While it's understandable that they wanted to do something cool like a brand new design and all, there's still the fact that the aeroshuttle IS THERE and not being used; if anything they should have just tweeked the underside of the saucer and parked the Delta Flyer there.
I wonder if it wasn't something annoyingly pragmatic that came and killed that idea (which at least some of the inside people must have considered for a while) - say, the runabout set not being available for the shooting after all? Or disagreements with the effects shop that was supposed to do enough footage of the "Voyager flies around with a hole in her saucer bottom" sort?
Timo Saloniemi
Timo Saloniemi
I never really understood what the deal with the captain's yacht was. It's a pretty goofy name, and it's strange to think that he captain has his own private spacecraft that just sits there most of the time.
Now if Picard had put on a blue double-breasted blazer and captain's hat when he flew it, that would be different.
Oh, and I'd want him wearing Docksiders, too.
Now if Picard had put on a blue double-breasted blazer and captain's hat when he flew it, that would be different.
Oh, and I'd want him wearing Docksiders, too.
TNG makes it pretty clear that shuttles are inexpensive and expendable enough that every hero could have two for personal use (as long as both could be portrayed by the same prop, with at most differently colored furry dice). Giving the skipper a shuttle of his or her own doesn't sound contrary to the principles of the Trek universe, so when it nicely harks back to the days of the sailing adventures, it's got every right to...
Timo Saloniemi
Timo Saloniemi
It's got to be the excelsior class... I mean, we NEVER saw her on screen...
I'm kidding, I'm kidding....
I'm kidding, I'm kidding....
Which would be rather odd. Even ignoring the fact that runabout sets were already used on Voyager (Non Sequitor) and in Insurrection, DS9 made regular use of Voyager sets. Mainly Voyager's brig which was seen on a few starbases and on that ship Gul Dukat was being transported on in Waltz. Voyager's holodeck was used as the Section 31 holodeck in Inquisition, and finally, most obviously, several sets from Voyager like the briefing room, mess hall, and crew quarters were used in Inter Arma Silent Leges, which in fact took place on board another Intrepid class starship. I would be very surprised if the runabout sets were unavailable for use on Voyager when the Delta Flyer was being thought up.
^ If they were utilizing the set once or twice, a couple of times a year, you wouldn't have a problem. But since the Delta Flyer was to be used frequently, scheduling time for both shows to use that one set would be problematic. It makes more sense to build a new set and use it freely then to risk holding up production on either show attempting to share the one.
And looking at this from a production standpoint, I would assume that the Delta Flyer was invented to give Tom and the crew something nifty to build and to ratchet up the tension in the episode. And to make the story even more dramatic, the shuttle had to be something we had never seen before so the audience would be nervous about the contraption working or not. Will they finish in time? Will they complete the mission? Using the aeroshuttle would have shot the story idea right in the head.
And looking at this from a production standpoint, I would assume that the Delta Flyer was invented to give Tom and the crew something nifty to build and to ratchet up the tension in the episode. And to make the story even more dramatic, the shuttle had to be something we had never seen before so the audience would be nervous about the contraption working or not. Will they finish in time? Will they complete the mission? Using the aeroshuttle would have shot the story idea right in the head.
Actually, when you consider how rarely we saw runabouts in DS9's seventh season, there's no reason why Voyager shouldn't have been able to work around that. And then afterwards, the runabout sets could have been passed onto Voyager, jus like the Defiant's bridge was (and that even got passed onto Enterprise).
However, I do concede that using the aeroshuttle would have gutted the story for that episode, so I guess we can allow the Delta Flyer and just be content with the rationalization that Voyager was launched before getting its aeroshuttle.
However, I do concede that using the aeroshuttle would have gutted the story for that episode, so I guess we can allow the Delta Flyer and just be content with the rationalization that Voyager was launched before getting its aeroshuttle.
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