Detailed information on the ship featured here >>1718432

History and Basic Technical Specs: The Wayfarer is a recent addition to the small band of inventors within Ponyville, and is a rare thing indeed in that it was not wholly built by them, Unlike past vehicles or equipment, the original ship was purchased at a considerable discount from its previous owner, largely due to its age and archaic propulsion system. While the paddle-steamer design has been phased out in place of more standard propeller drives, the large reinforced main sections made it perfect for what Crash Dive and Pressure Cooker had in mind.

While Lake Saddle had proven to be a reliable test bed for most creations and its depths held no shortage of surprises, the two had found difficulty in moving toward the ocean. The issues of both booking reliable transport and shipping heavy diving equipment to any rented vehicle had proven arduous, and they were often limited in what they could return with. As such, they sought to cut out the middle-stallion, by refitting a vessel to satisfy all of their needs.

The internal housing and superstructure of the ship was reinforced and massively refitted over the summer, offering it the benefit of a far better load bearing design and bolted frames. This served as a solid basis both for the addition of a small locomotive crane which was added to the ship’s central deck, and a retractable wheeled system installed just beneath its bow. These offer the ship an amphibious capability, permitting it to travel across land and areas typically inaccessible to most vessels. The wheels themselves are capable of holding a substantial portion of the Wayfarer’s 150 ton weight, and the main steering mechanism itself has been left to the main paddle wheels. This is executed by varying their speeds along with a clutch and break system to perform tighter turns, and the ship’s top speed has been marked at 12 knots in the water and 8 on land.

The vessel’s main engines are located toward the foreword section of the yellow upper deck, with the boilers situated either side of it. This offers the vessel an excellent central balance and offsets both cargo and the crane placed ahead of it. As the main hold is situated between the two main wheels, the risk of the ship toppling backward or damaging its rear rudder when moving up inclines is thankfully extremely limited.

The main living quarters of the vessel are notably small, but just large enough to be comfortable for a small crew. Located to the rear of the upper deck behind the smokestack, the room is heavily soundproofed against the noise of the main engine. Consisting of a small table, chairs and a pair of wall mounted beds, it is enough to satisfy their owners during long trips between Ponyville and the coast, along with long-term salvage operations. The Wayfarer is also notably well suited to cold weather environments, as spent steam from the boiler/engine assembly is funneled into pipes which run beneath the cabin’s floorboards. These can be activated and adjusted depending on the crew’s requirements at the time, with a small secondary condenser providing hot water for tea.

The Wayfarer’s high waterline has led to some concerns as to how well it would perform in a storm, but testing thus far has proven it to be a capable and reliable ship.