According to the Australian Warship Mag in 2004 Maersk announced a proposal for a power projection ship based on its S Class ships. The article said [briefly] that the almost full length flight deck and hanger deck would be made with 40 125 ton modules.Accomodation modules below deck consist of converted ISO 12m shipping containers with accomodation for 1000 with rec. laundry medical etc. space provided Hanger deck would accomodate typically 6-Chinooks,14-uh-60 Blackhawk,8-Kiowa. The ship would also be able to accomodate ,Harrier, F35B or MV22 Osprey. A mill. galls of jp-5 could be carried.The ship could carry 200 ISO 20 ft containers in the 34000 squ. ft. cargo deck. All up 95700 tons ,length 347 metres, sustained speed of 24 knots,range 15000nm .Maersk stated that the US could aquire 5 of the converted ships for $1 billion. This enormouse ship is not really an aircraft carrier but a forward staging base however the possibilities are staggering There are enough landing spots to allow simultaneous operation of 15 Chinooks.I suspect that most of the embarked helos & possibly aircraft would be parked on deck.The article states that the ship could accomade all up 72 CH-46 Sea Knights
I have not the slightest idea what happened to this proposal but what might be able to be achieved The ship did not carry any landing craft but has all the cranes etc. for efficient offloading.

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=61278&page=3&pp=30

Posts 61 and 64 have some additional info an piccies.

Another great episode.

Building the Steam Navy, Dockyards, Technology and the Creation of the Victorian battle Fleet 1830 – 1906 by David Evans.

Page 170

Another far sighted plan, this time for containerised transport of coal to the yards, was submitted in December 1846 by the solicitors to the Bristol & Poole harbour railway, who having a floating dock at their Bristol terminus:

…by which means their iron Barges containing the Boxes with Welch Steam Coals…will be placed on the Line and conveyed without shifting, or break of gauge direct to Her Majesty’s Stores either at Gosport or Portsmouth or by means of a Pier alongside of which a Steam Ship may lie and the Coals be placed at once on board – affording thereby a continuous supply of Best Steam Coals in first-rate conditions…

They had submitted a scheme to supply 21,000 tons annually to Mr Russell, contractor for supply of coals at Southampton for the Great Western Steam Navigation Company, the P & O Steam navigation Company, and the Royal West India mail Company, and to the Engineer in chief of the last. And they had agreed to support the plan. There would be a small increase in price, but this would be compensated for by the excellent condition of the coal. This offer was not taken up.

If this had been taken up, could we have seen containerisation earlier?

Got this from another board.

http://p216.ezboard.com/fwarships1discussionboardsfrm4.showMessage?topicID=1343.topic&index=1

The drydocks are above sea level. The triangle section is a ship lift: you push the ship into the center channel, which is deep draft at sea level. A gate caps the tip of the triangle, and water is pumped into the triangle. This lifts the ship up about 25 feet. One of the three docks is then pumped full of water also, and the gate across the dock is opened to allow the ship to float into it. The dock and triangle are allowed to drain, and the ship is left high and dry above sea level.

The triangle design allows a single ship lift to service all three docks, and the sloped bottoms reduce the amount of water that need to be pumped in.

How does the access system for Docks 31, 32 and 33 work at the Lisnave shipyard and why wasn’t a simple separate individual access to all three docks used?

http://www.lisnave.pt/yards.htm