A single-hull hotel ship laid out by Norwegian firm Salt Ship Design is not only the largest of its kind, it might also cure seasickness.
The ship, which is 500 feet long, will provide temporary housing to 800 people working on off-shore oil rigs. Thanks to built-in tanks crafted to counteract waves, living there will be almost like living at home.
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"The ship is designed primarily to have as little motion as possible on the gangway," Johannes Eldøy, a project developer at Salt Ship Design, told Mashable. "These roll reduction tanks have proven very efficient."
The tanks are filled with water; air valves on the roof of each blast the water around to create waves of various sizes. The artificial waves balance out the natural ones so the boat doesn't rock.
The vessel is also equipped with six azimuth thrusters that can rotate to balance out waves that might otherwise throw it off-course. This allows the ship to stay hooked to oil rigs in waves up to five meters high, Eldøy said. It can also move around with much greater ease than semi-submersible platforms of the past because it's more ship than hotel.
The hotel portion won't be neglected, though. The ship will include two outdoor pools, a movie theater, gym, lounge, sauna and conference rooms, among other amenities, Eldøy said. The food served on board will be "excellent."
Hyundai Heavy Industries is constructing the vessel, and Edda Accommodation, a Malta-based company that bills itself as an offshore accommodation service provider, is the first to place an order for one. It is set to be delivered in June 2015.
Image: Flickr, blmiers2