for the radiaclly-minded powerboater

[mmd]

A friend sent me these photos of Jim Antrim's latest catamaran creation:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/mmd_ns/AntrimCat1.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/mmd_ns/AntrimCat2.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/mmd_ns/AntrimCat3.jpg

It is 100 feet long by 50 feet wide and the cockpit rides 15 feet above the water surface. The hulls are inflatable and powered by a diesel in each hull. The view from the cockpit must feel like low flying rather than boating, and I wonder what it feels like to have suspension on a boat?

[Ian McColgin]

It looks like high speed efficiency was not high on the priority list. Depending on draft, perhaps its for some sort of lagoon touring or research or something. What a gas.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

You'd keep the "six honest serving men" busy a day or two with that.

Word of the day: Mesmerising.

[Sam F]

That's radical all right... but I have one question. How do you mount engines in an inflatable hull?

[JimD]

What is it supposed to do?

[rbgarr]

There was another thread on this two months ago, and a joke circulated that the cat was a combination travel-lift/'car-wash' for gray whales that would keep up with the migrating pods and help them go faster.

http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=54535

[Stiletto]

It's certainly different, those joints onto the hulls look like they are straight off a windscreen wiper.