have you seen this strange craft?

[rossir]

Never seen anything like it!

[Tropic Cat]

Well, all I can say is that a military budget of $500 billion a year buys some pretty strange looking machines. I hate to think what this one costs!

Rick in Florida

I have seen it. I was right up next to it. It was in Anacortes, WA for a few days for repairs (possibly at Dakota Creek Shipyards, the aluminum/steel big builder here in town). The bow of one of the pontoons was apparently torqued back like it hit the front of a wave too hard. There was no crew to be seen. An article appeared in the paper a few days later with no real information on who or what.

My thought is that was some DOD (Navy?) experimental/research vessel for open water speed and possibly stealth. But the news article suggested it was private.

When it was here it had Delware registration numbers on the bow of the pontoons, which are not there in these pictures. I suspect the pictures were after the repairs as it looks like a new paint job.

[Sunspot Baby]

Weird.

Hulls do appear inflatable but stern portion must be bonded to FRP or similar since picture transom at prop shaft appears to be hard. Upswept bows remind me of Thor Heyerdahl’s Ra designs. On his reed boats the up sweep was to keep waves from breaking over the bow. Don’t see the need here but moderately large seas must be on the agenda.

Struts (legs) don’t appear adjustable, joints seem firmly riveted in place. One has a cat walk going up it. The shape of the struts would also indicate this is not a SWATH design.

Attachment to hulls is by leaf spring indicates a need to absorb shock.

If it were a go-fast boat designed to minimize surface tension, it would seem there would be more room for propulsion and the cat walk would have no function. Maybe there are some sexy turbines in the hulls.

My first thought was the raised design was to straddle another vessel. Maybe to lift it, but those skinny hulls wouldn’t provide enough buoyancy for anything large. Also, the pilot house as no view to aft. If it were used as the control boot for a crane, there would be increased visibility.

They must have moved the boat between pictures because it is starboard side to in some and port side in others.

All very interesting.

[markpj23]

It's a movie prop for "Back to the Polynesian Future" starring Michael J. Fox...

[never monday]

ok,
Heres my take. The adjustible thingies are suspension for the crew unit. They are leaf springs inverted and tied in at one end and flex at the other. In off road we call in quarter eliptical suspension. It's built for outright speed.
Now the drives are easy thoes are Arneson surface drives, turbine power behind arnesons will net out 130mph in a 45' x 8' V hull race boat

[delmarrey]

It's a giant water spider

sure would be EZ to build............................_/)

[Tropic Cat]

I think Sunspot Baby has it. It straddles another boat but doesn't lift it... it propels it. Hmmmm.... Too low to go over warships. How about ferrying barges around a harbor.

A new tugboat?

Rick in Florida

My guess is that it is some sort of service vehicle for navy submarines.

- it's painted navy gray
- it has (had) Delaware registration
- it has been seen in the pacific northwest, the navy has a large submarine base in Bangor, WA on Hood Canal.
- that thing looks wide enough that it could straddle a large submarine. It could even come up on a surfaced sub from behind.

It is certainly NOT for long voyages as there is no crew quarters (not even a head) or liferaft.

[Sunspot Baby]

That cube behind the pilot house could hold the head and limited conveniences.

George

[Tropic Cat]

Mystery solved then... it's a new kind of Sub tugboat?

Rick in Florida

[Lodesman]

I think what you have there is a prototype for a new type of propulsion. Something that struck me as curious, was that all the hinges were lashed - like they've been temporarily disabled. If this thing is designed to flex the pontoons like an inchworm, then it might just scoot across the surface of the water. The prop drives are auxiliary - or just to protect industrial secrets. It's common knowledge that fish are extremely efficient swimmers - if this machine is able to mimic that motion, it might also be very efficient. This is not quite the same, but would give you an idea of the effect I envision:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeKz-EnGNFs

Or it's a UFO recovery boat.

Kevin

[44'cruisingcat]

Looks like some kind of specialized crane. Not for heavy lifting though. Being a multihull it's sure to flip any moment!

Looks like another government sponsered hazard to navigation.

[yotphix]

If it were intended just to service something it would surely not have been built with Arnesons. Perhaps it is meant as some sort of high speed all weather crew shuttle? Whatever it is, the lashings and ratchet straps indicate that they still have a ways to go before the thing is safe!