From what reading I have done on the subject, many of the more modern
ships - large - as in international cargo carriers - particularly those
that operate from Japan, use electric motors to drive their ships. Works
somewhat like a diesel powered train engine. I guess having electric
engines for propulsion actually gives them better control, particularly
with todays automated operations on board. Crew size on these big
vessels is now down to just a scant - 5-6 men on the whole vessel for
the voyage/

Several of the Alaska Marine Highway ferry vessels - and some are not
small - also use electric power to drive the ship.

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

Andrew Grebneff wrote:

>>  As an aside, most of
>>  > the modern ships have gas turbine engines, which, while they still
>> run on
>>  > fuel (jet fuel), they can be fired up and ready in about thirty
>> minutes.
>
>
> I'll bet only small ships use gas turbines. And hoo boy, if one
> catches fire, watch that baby burn!
> --
> Andrew Grebneff
> Dunedin
> New Zealand
> Fossil preparator
> <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
> Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut
>
> HUMANITY: THE ULTIMATE VON NEUMANN MACHINE
>
> DEMOCRACY: RULE BY THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR
>
>