Sturn's Shipyard

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FAR TRADER

Updates: Corrected many typos, moved the garage hatch so it lined up on both decks. Kudos to the fine eyes at the CotI forums. 05/09/08. 

Updates planned: PDF version complete with numbered key and sheets that print at 1" scale.

This one was a bugger.  I must have redrawn the Far Trader five or more times.  The classic Far Trader plans, and many I have seen, were just way too large to squeeze into a 200 dton hull.  First off, I kept having trouble with trying to squeeze all of the staterooms up front like the classic example.  There was just not enough room to put them all there and keep the true shape of the Far Trader.  I tried moving the main cargo hold back towards the rear, but that just made the front cargo hold very long and skinny in order to still have a front loading ramp.  I even considered dumping the front loading ramp, but that this would be too radical a change for most.  Instead, I experimented with moving two crew staterooms towards engineering, and everything fell into place!  This move even explained some of the seemingly wasted space of the corridors near the front loading corridor (one needed for passengers, one secure for crew). 

The plans turned into my favorite thus far.  Lots of twisting passages, I can't wait to have my players get into a firefight or a chase aboard one of these.

Please read through the notes (there is a rhyme and reason for everything I did) before flaming me on the boards.

These plans are based upon the Mongoose Traveller version.  I made one change, I put the air/raft back in as with the classic design.  This reduced the cargo space from 64 to 60 dtons.  I didn't see this as a problem since the original Far Trader could only hold 46 dtons in it's cargo bay.

External Views

From bow to stern:

Topside View: The starboard (right) window is the larger one covering the bridge.  To port is the captain's window.  Rising up behind these windows are more view ports for the passenger lounge and staterooms of the upper deck.  Between them is the gray-colored retracting door for the air/raft garage on the upper deck.  Just behind the garage door is a hatch leading from the garage to topside.  The domes sticking out on both sides show how turrets would appear if installed in their default locations.  Further back one can see the tops of the starboard and port cargo bay doors.  The large green rectangle is the aerodynamic streamlining fin rising from topside.  To either side of it are two more topside hatches leading from engineering.

Underside View: Just between the "double noses" can be seen the edge of the forward cargo loading ramp.  The four squares on the underside are the landing gear hatches.

Starboard View: The bridge nose can be seen first including the large window.  Below the nose can be seen the forward cargo loading ramp as it would appear open.  Up top can be seen passenger stateroom windows, and a topside hatch.  Further down the side is a turret (if installed), then the starboard iris-valve airlock.  The ladder is shown in a down position, as needed if the airlock does not connect with a port's docking arm.  The large square with the craft logo is the starboard bay door and ramp (when dropped).  Next are the fuel scoops.  Atop is the large aerodynamic fin distinct to the Far Trader.

From left to right

Bow View: The dome represents the starboard turret (if installed).  Next is the lower, forward "nose" of the bridge with the upper passenger nose a few meters behind it.  Between the noses is the retracting air/raft garage door towards topside with the forward cargo bay loading ramp and door below it.  Next is the lower, forward nose of the captain's stateroom with the upper passenger nose above and behind it.

Stern View: The maneuver drive thrust ports can be seen starboard and port.  A little further in is the iris-valve door leading out from engineering.  The large gray section in the middle are the jump drive radiator fins.

Upper Deck

From bow to stern:

Passenger Commons: A scenic lounge with a large view port above.  Couches to the front are for relaxation, a small corner booth is for use with the autogalley.  A maintenance hatch is behind the booth for refilling life support.  A hatch, normally locked during travel, leads to the garage.

Passenger Staterooms: Five passenger staterooms each with their own fresher, desk w/terminal, and view ports. Two of the five are nearly 3 dton in size.  On some ships these are first-come-first-serve.  Other captains prefer to charge an extra gratuity for the larger staterooms (also see the small passenger staterooms in the lower deck).  Two lifts lead to the lower deck passenger hall, staterooms, and boarding airlock (if the air/raft is not used).  Since the garage is normally locked, starboard passengers must use the passageway accessed by the lifts in order to get to the commons.

Garage: At the bow is the 4-ton air/raft garage.  A door retracts to launch the vehicle.  Due to its location, only grav vehicles would be able to utilize the garage. There are four hatches.  A floor hatch leads to the crew hallway just outside the bridge.  The ceiling hatch leads topside.  The starboard and port hatches lead to the passenger areas.  These hatches are used for boarding and off-loading of passengers by way of the air/raft.  During flight, the hatches are normally locked to passengers. 

Upper Cargo Bay: The large gray area represents the upper reaches of the two floor cargo bay.  See it's description in the lower deck.

Fuel: Separate tanks are not shown.  The Far Trader houses most of its large fuel capacity in the upper deck.

Upper Engineering: To the rear of the ship is the top half of the large jump drive.  The jump drive reaches upwards through the grated floor from below.  Crew in upper engineering can see below to lower engineering through the floor.  There are two ladders down to lower engineering and two hatchways out of the ship to topside.

Lower Deck

From bow to stern:

Captain's Stateroom: The captain/owner of the vessel enjoys a large stateroom complete with a large desk, autogalley, and fresher.  The captain's quarters include a large view port for peering outside, or into the bridge only six meters to starboard.

Bridge: Two workstations are upon the forward bridge, along with the starboard gunnery station behind it.  The bridge enjoys an unusual, very large, view port enjoyed by most crews.  Further to stern is the starboard airlock, along with the ship's locker.

Forward Cargo Bay and Ramp: Between the "noses" of the ship on the lower deck is the small forward cargo bay.  The cargo bay door drops down to form a ramp for easy loading.  The forward cargo bay is only 4 dtons in size, the crew and passenger hallways can not be used for stowage (Imperial safety restrictions impose large fines for cluttering craft passageways with cargo).  The cargo bay is a double airlock of sorts due to the hallway walls retracting into the side walls or ceiling to allow loading of cargo.  Normally, this section is loaded last if it is being used to load cargo.  The cargo bay, due to its size and separation from the main hold, is sometimes used for special cargos.  On some ships, it can conveniently be used as a second garage, especially for non-flying vehicles.  

Crew Hallway: This hallway leads from the bridge to the captain's stateroom and port gunnery station.  It also allows crew access to the port airlock.  A hatch in the ceiling leads to the garage above.  The hallway's inner wall divides and retracts to allow cargo to move through it when loading.

Gunnery Stations: Most ships have two gunnery stations installed for protection.  By default, one station is to starboard, nearby the bridge.  The other is nestled in a hallway between the captain's stateroom and port airlock.  On unarmed vessels, these two areas are normally used as extra lockers - a bridge locker and an extra closet for the captain.  Maintenance hatches are nearby the forward landing gear and turrets (if any).

Forward Landing Gear: The ship's landing gear only take up 1/2 dton each, but when lowered, claws extend making the "feet" much larger. Maintenance hatches allow some shipboard repairs.

Passenger Staterooms: Due to the configuration of the ship, two small passenger staterooms are on the lower deck.  These staterooms are cramped compared to others, less then 2 dtons in size.  They are the first staterooms to be used for extra crew or middle passengers, if any.  On some ships, they are for the last passengers to board, the early arrivals getting the larger rooms above.  On other ships, these rooms are sometimes available at a discounted rate.  In game-play, the reduced cost of the 2 smaller rooms would be offset by the extra cost of the 2 larger rooms (see staterooms on the upper deck), so the players need not keep track of varying costs of the passenger staterooms.

Passenger Hallway: This hallway allows passengers on this deck to access the port airlock and the passenger commons above via the lift.  Note that starboard passengers on the upper deck must also use this hallway to get to the commons by first going down to the lower deck, through this hallway, then back up the second lift.

Cargo Bay: The main cargo hold.  There are three entrances via the forward cargo bay and two large (almost 6m x 6m) doors to starboard and port.  The side doors flop down to make loading ramps.  The dotted lines represent walls that can retract into the walls to stern.  These doors, when deployed, allow crew to enter the engineering section without entering the cargo bay.  If this is done, space is lost from the main cargo hold, 2 dtons per hallway.  Imperial regulations forbid passageways to be filled with cargo.

Low Berths: The ship only holds six low berths.

Fuel: Separate tanks are not shown.

Fuel Processors: Fuel processors are behind the external scoops, one on each side of the ship just behind the cargo bay.

Crew Staterooms: Unusual for most small spacecraft, two crew staterooms are actually to stern, nearby engineering.  The crew located here have easy access to the low berths and engineering, but must walk one of the side hallways to go forward.  The two staterooms share a common galley located between them.

Stern Landing Gear: The ship's landing gear only take up 1/2 dton each, but when lowered, claws extend making the "feet" much larger.  Maintenance hatches allow some shipboard repairs.

Lower Engineering: The lower engineering bay is much larger then the upper bay.  This large area includes the bottom portion of the jump drive, all of the power plant, and all of the maneuver drive.  An engineering workstation is to port.  Two iris-valves lead forward, while two hatches lead out of the ship in emergencies (ladders drop down to the ground).  Ladders also lead up through the grated ceiling above the jump drive into the upper engineering bay.  Note that the shortest way from one side of the bay to the other is to cut through the two crew staterooms and commons.  This leads to some privacy issues for off-duty crew being interrupted by an engineer passing through so he can avoid the longer way around.