THE Irish Naval Service has unveiled its first ‘self-righting’ high-speed boat – which is absolutely impossible to capsize, apparently.
The XSV-17 ’Thunder Child’ is a ludicrously fast, wave-piercing vessel designed by Safehaven Marine in Co. Cork, for use by the Navy, search and rescue and other groups who sail in high-pressure situations.
The boat can fit 10 crew members on board and has a sleeping cabin. It's built to absorb shocks from rough seas.
But by far the most impressive thing about the Thunder Child is its ability to right itself even if it’s completely capsized.
As shown in the footage below, the boat bounces back into an upright position whenever it's overturned.
Frank Kowalksi, managing director of Safehaven Marine, told the Mail that keeping the boat upright required a large amount of design work.
“It is a combination of three factors: A very low centre of gravity, the buoyancy of the cabin and the cabin must also be completely water tight,” he said.
“The area of the cabin must contain enough air to keep the vessel afloat and it is important no water gets into the cabin.
“We have made about 130 boats in the last 20 years and they are used in 26 countries and territories.
“They are used by coastguards, lifeguards and Port Authorities as high-speed rescue vehicles across the world.”
