Below Deck - Inside the Stern Propulsion Room

Ahoy Sailors,

In our previous Below Deck Development News, we took you inside the machinery room of our Class 4 Service Offshore Vessel for a first look at the three generator sets and some of the technical spaces we're continuing to build throughout the vessel, which you will experience in our upcoming major update v0.8.8. soon.

Today, we're moving further through the ship. This time, we're heading into another player-accessible technical area: the stern propulsion room, where you'll find the machinery and control equipment behind the SOV's two Steerprop W stern azimuth propulsion units.

For many players, operating a vessel begins on the bridge. You move the propulsion controls, watch the indicators and manoeuvre the ship.

From the Bridge to the Machinery Below

Players can already control the SOV's two stern azimuth thrusters from the bridge. As part of our ongoing work on the vessel, we're taking the original propulsion installation a step further by implementing the main propulsion control panel designed for these thruster units.

The panel provides individual control over the port and starboard propulsion units, with the option to operate them independently or synchronized depending on the manoeuvre. Players can monitor key information such as thruster RPM and azimuth angle, providing direct feedback on what each propulsion unit is doing beneath the vessel.

We're also equipping the bridge with dedicated Steerprop Thruster Indicators for each main propulsion unit. The displays include day and night modes that automatically adapt to the surrounding daylight.

For players who simply want to start the vessel, head out to sea and get on with their business, the propulsion controls remain accessible and straightforward to use. But if you're interested in the engineering behind those controls, we will delve deeper into these systems down the road.

There's More at the Bow

The two stern propulsion units aren't the only thrusters aboard the SOV. At the bow, the vessel is also equipped with a deployable and retractable Steerprop R azimuth thruster, together with its own control panel.

This additional unit is part of the vessel's Dynamic Positioning (DP) system, providing extra manoeuvring capability when precise positioning is required. One example is working around an offshore wind farm, where maintaining position and heading can be considerably more important than simply travelling from A to B.

When Dynamic Positioning is active, the system coordinates the vessel's available thrusters to continuously compensate for external forces such as wind and waves, maintaining the required position and heading.

But look closely and you'll find another thruster in this space as well. The Mini SOV is also equipped with a bow tunnel thruster, providing additional lateral thrust at the bow. This is particularly useful during low-speed manoeuvring, such as approaching or leaving a berth and docking in port.

Together with the two main stern azimuth propulsion units, these systems give the vessel considerably more control over its movement — whether you're simply manoeuvring around a harbor or using DP for more precise offshore operations.

It's another example of how the different systems aboard the vessel connect: propulsion, manoeuvring, electrical power, bridge controls, sensors, and Dynamic Positioning all work together as parts of the same ship.

Accessible for Everyone, Deeper for Those Who Want It

As the technical depth of Ships At Sea grows, there's an important principle we want to maintain:

More simulation shouldn't mean making the game inaccessible.

Some of you want to manage your company, purchase and operate vessels, complete contracts, work with friends and build up your maritime business without having to understand every component installed below deck. Others want to know exactly what happens when they move that propulsion lever.

You want to explore the engine room, look at the electric motors, understand why there are control cabinets beside them, see what the thruster angle is doing, and eventually interact with more of those systems.

We want Ships At Sea to support both ways of playing.

Our goal is to keep operating a vessel approachable while building greater technical depth underneath for those who want to discover it. Early Access, together with your feedback and support, gives us the opportunity to continue building toward that balance.

There's still plenty more happening both above and below deck, and we look forward to showing you more as Ships At Sea continues to grow.

— The Misc Games Team