Freelance Traveller

designed by John T. Kwon

The Harvest-class and her sister ships are barge-carrying LASH, or lighter aboard ship, vessels capable of carrying both barges and containers. Each is capable of carrying up to seven 100-ton cargo barges (lighters), but may carry less to make room for containers and pusher boats. Each lighter is 100 displacement tons and may discharge either at an orbital pier or in space. The Harvest vessels have two gantry-style cranes: one 30-ton capacity crane (forward) for moving standard 30-ton modular containers and one 100-ton capacity gantry for moving barges. This second gantry can move nearly the length of the ship to discharge pusher boats, lighters, and containers. In addition to the gantry cranes, the vessels have a 3-ton capacity general cargo crane to help load the ship's stores. These ships see wide use for both short and long range cargo transport, and are capable of independent, self-sustaining operations. Due to their self-sustaining capabilities, these ships are particularly conducive to loading and unloading operations where port restrictions preclude the ship from tying up at an orbital dock. The ship is fitted with a fuel processor, enabling use of unrefined fuel. Unlike her smaller sister, the Chukkar, the Harvest is equipped with Jump-4 drives, that enable the ship to keep up with Naval vessels. Because of this, the ship has often been used by the Navy as an underway replenishment vessel/ship's tender to carry foodstuffs and other consumable supplies to combat vessels.

Whether used in a frontier area with relatively long jump distances, frontier ports, and frontier refueling, or used in a short-haul merchant line with pre-arranged pickup of cargo containers, the Harvest is designed to perform its job in an economical manner.

The standard crew consists of one Pilot, one Navigator, 4 Engineers, a Medic, and 3 Flight Crew. There are accommodations for three additional passengers, and standard low berths for the crew and three passengers. As a side note, the entire standard crew of 12 can be carried aboard a single Ariadne.

The ship carries no jump fuel aboard. Therefore, at least one of the barges must contain jump fuel.

Cargo barges are streamlined pods that can be mated with a pusher boat, or light tug (Ariadne-class). Typically, three Ariadne-class pusher boats are carried aboard. The Ariadne can be used with a fuel pod to skim for fuel, or can transport a single cargo pod. Mated with a 100-ton pod, the Ariadne is still streamlined, allowing the pusher to bring cargo to and from planetary surfaces.

Alternative configurations include carrying several Modular Cutters in addition to the standard set of pusher boats, a mix of 100-ton fuel pods, and many 30-ton containers.

There have been several conversions of this ship, most of them involving:

• 100-ton Lab Module (4 staterooms, lab areas)
• 100-ton Command and Control Module (Fighter Control)
• Attachment of a variety of fighters and small patrol boats.
• Attachment of a variety of 30-ton containers
• 100-ton Mid-Psg Passenger Module (20 passengers, 5 emergency low berths)
• 100-ton Luxury Passenger Module (10 passengers, 2 Stewards, 12 low berths)
• 100-ton Low-Psg Passenger Module (100 low berths)

This ship is also capable of rescue operations and salvage for ships smaller than 500 tons displacement. It has been used as a moveable remote monitoring station (with spacious accommodations and long fuel endurance).

USP
         ML-A741442-000000-00000-0 MCr 476.543 1 KTons
Bat Bear                           Crew: 10
Bat                                TL: 15

Cargo: 3.000
Passengers: 4
Fuel: 40.000
EP: 40.000
Agility: 1
Craft: 3 x 20T Pusher (Ariadne-class Light Tug)

Architects Fee: MCr 4.512
Cost in Quantity: MCr 383.836

HULL
1,000.000 tons standard,
14,000.000 cubic meters,
Dispersed Structure Configuration

CREW
Pilot (1),
Navigator (1),
Engineers (4),
Medic(1),
Flight Crew (3)

ENGINEERING
Jump-4,
1G Maneuver (Agility 1),
Power plant-4, (40.000 EP)

AVIONICS
Bridge, Model/4 Computer

CRAFT
3 20.000 ton Pushers (Crew of 1, Cost of MCr 8.441)

FUEL
40.000 Tons Fuel (0 parsecs jump and 28 days endurance)
No Fuel Scoops, One Fuel Purification Plant

MISCELLANEOUS
12.0 Staterooms,
12 Low Berths,
2 Middle Passengers,
3.000 Tons Cargo

USER DEFINED COMPONENTS
7 Containers (100.000 tons, Crew 0, Cost MCr 1.000)

COST
MCr 455.732 Singly (incl. Architects fees of MCr 4.512),
MCr 360.976 in Quantity, plus MCr 22.86 of Carried Craft

CONSTRUCTION TIME
120 Weeks Singly, 96 Weeks in Quantity

Ariadne Tug/Pusher

USP
         TL-0206601-000000-00000-0 MCr 9.525 20 Tons
Bat Bear                           Crew: 1
Bat                                TL: 15

Cargo: 0.700
Fuel: 1.200
EP: 1.200
Agility: 6
Fuel Treatment: Fuel Scoops

Architects Fee: MCr 0.095
Cost in Quantity: MCr 7.620

HULL
20.000 tons standard,
280.000 cubic meters,
Cone Configuration

CREW
Pilot (1)

ENGINEERING
Jump-0,
6G Maneuver (Agility 6),
Power plant-6 (1.200 EP)

AVIONICS
No Bridge Installed, Model/1 Computer

FUEL
1.200 Tons Fuel (0 parsecs jump and 28 days endurance)
On Board Fuel Scoops, No Fuel Purification Plant

MISCELLANEOUS
1 Acceleration Couch, 12 couches for passengers

COST
MCr 9.620 Singly (incl. Architects fees of MCr 0.095),
MCr 7.620 in Quantity

CONSTRUCTION TIME
11 Weeks Singly,
9 Weeks in Quantity