Lights out for the Sea Shadow

YahooNews ^ | 6/20/11 | Mike Krumboltz

[Ken H]

The Navy had hoped that a private buyer would come forward and take the spy ship off its hands.

How much were they asking?

[doorgunner69]

Considering it was a technology demonstration, and not an operational warship, no big deal. Any stealth tech materials are long gone. No weapon platforms, no other tech to be exploited. The external design features are not earth shaking to other countries interested in this stuff.

[Rudder]

Are you talking about a
Hobie cat?

I sailed them on SF Bay back in the very late 60's, early 70's. No way could I right that single-handedly!

[Rudder]

As these intrepid Darwin-Award pursuers discovered, the San Francisco Bay can get real snotty!

[Paladin2]

Yep, that's it.

I don't see any righting lines in those pics. I did sail it a few times single handed in light airs. I sail mostly on small inland lakes but a few times on LI Sound and the Chesapeake Bay. It was fun to blow by the 40 foot sailboats and exceed the harbor speed limits without leaving a significant wake.

[Paladin2]

I saw the video. That’s why my (sailing councilor as a kid) wife never really liked to go out on windy days. She likes keeled boats. It’d be interesting to have heavy weather hulls with a lot more buoyancy at the bows. It’s good to be ready to dump the power immediately.

[Rudder]

...heavy weather hulls with a lot more buoyancy at the bows. It’s good to be ready to dump the power immediately.

Here you go...

Cal 25 in Berkeley Yacht Club Race on San Francisco Bay.

I've had one like this, a 29', at Newport and sailed usually to, from and around Catalina. It loved a steady, heavy wind on a close tack, heeled over to the gunwales in 8-10 foot seas. On a good tack we'd run 17 Kn!
Monohulls are where it's at for that kind of sea.