Patent ID: 7712426

Claim:
A multi-purpose expedition vessel comprising: a. an aluminum alloy hull having an aluminum alloy hull bottom, a deadrise bow elevated above a waterline, a stern, a port side-, a starboard side, a central axis between the starboard and port sides, a plurality of port lifting strakes secured proximate to the port side of the deadrise bow, a plurality of starboard lifting strakes secured to the starboard side of the deadrise bow; b. a starboard tapered skeg proximate to the starboard side of the aluminum alloy hull and a port tapered skeg proximate to the port side of the aluminum alloy hull; c. a below deck level disposed within the aluminum alloy hull comprising a forward below deck section and an aft below deck section; wherein each skeg is secured to the aft below deck section enabling dampening of roll by the aluminum alloy hull and reduction of lateral skidding of the aluminum alloy hull during turns; wherein i. the forward below deck section comprises 1. a first accommodations; 2. a second accommodations; 3. an accommodation watertight bulkhead disposed between the first accommodations and the second accommodations; 4. a collision bulkhead in the deadrise bow of the aluminum alloy hull; 5. a dry goods storage area adjacent the collision bulkhead; and ii. the aft below deck section comprises: 1. an engine room; 2. at least one generator in the engine room; 3. a jet lazarette area comprising three independently operable water jet drives; 4. a watertight bulkhead between the jet lazarette area and the engine room; and 5. a plurality of fuel tanks between the first accommodations and the engine room in communication with the at least one generator and the water jet drives; and d. a superstructure comprising: i. a main deck level having an aft section and a bow section disposed above the below deck level; wherein the aft section comprises: 1. an aft cockpit; 2. a salon; 3. a first watertight main deck bulkhead disposed between the aft cockpit and the salon, wherein the first watertight main deck bulkhead extends from the port side to the starboard side; and 4. a galley; wherein the bow section is disposed from 1 foot to 3 feet below the aft section, wherein the bow section comprises: a. at least one first stateroom disposed above the dry goods storage area; b. a second watertight main deck bulkhead disposed between the galley and the at least one first stateroom; c. at least one main deck storage area disposed between the at least one first stateroom and the dry goods storage area; ii. a pilot house steering station level disposed above the main deck level; iii. a flying bridge steering station level disposed above the pilot house steering station level; and iv. a floatation roof disposed above the flying bridge steering station level for preventing the multi-purpose expedition vessel from rolling and turtleing in heavy seas.