Patent ID: 6789490
Filing Date: 2004-09-14
Classification: B63B

Abstract:
A ship of the kind designed to achieve high speed through the use of multiple, low wave-making resistance, submerged hullform pods, said ship comprising,a superstructure constructed for operation above the surface of the water, a first pair of transversely spaced fore struts extending downwardly from said superstructure, a second pair of transversely spaced aft struts extending downwardly from said superstructure, said second pair of aft struts being longitudinally spaced from the first pair of fore struts, a low wave-making resistance hullform pod attached to each strut to provide a pair of transversely spaced fore pods and a pair of transversely spaced aft pods located beneath said superstructure, propulsion means on each pod on at least one pair of said fore and aft pairs of pods, each pod being configured to have a longitudinal length which is shorter than the length of the ship and a transverse diameter which is large enough to enable the pods to provide all or substantially all of the buoyancy required to maintain said superstructure above the surface of the water during propulsion of the ship at normal operating speeds of the ship, fin means on each pod moveably constructed to provide turning and to counteract the inertia moment produced during the turning of the ship so that the ship does not roll out of a turn, and wherein the fin means produce fore and aft roll moments which are in the same direction with respect to one another.