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All this talk of RIB's reminded me of an add I saw for one a few years back
in International Defense Review, AKA War Mongers Monthly. It took some
looking but here it is. I'm not making this up.

"Novel concept for a raiding boat

The Kraken 90 is believed to be the only craft of its type in the world,
combining the high-speed performance of a surface, rigid inflatable boat
(RIB) with many of the underwater capabilities of a submarine. On the
surface Kraken 90 looks and behaves like a normal RIB, being 6m long, with a
2m beam and a long, wrap-around inflatable sidetank attached to a
medium-deep, vee-hull constructed of 4mm aluminum with 3mm decking. It is
powered by a 90hp Yamaha outboard engine, giving an average surface cruising
speed of 20kt and a nominal range of 90nmi.

What makes the Kraken 90 different, however, is that it can submerge, the
normal maximum operating depth of 50m being set by the limits of the divers
conventional air-breathing apparatus. All onboard systems susceptible to
water damage are watertight and pressurized (outboard engine, instrument
console, battery tube, etc.) and once submerged is powered by two electric
propulsors, which are bow mounted for stability and balance. The triple bank
of 12V accumulators give the Kraken 90 a submerged range of approximately
6nm at speeds up to 3kt. Alternatively, Kraken 90 can run semi-submerged,
using the outboard engine, which aspirates through the schnorkel tube
mounted in the bows. 

Kraken 90 is a product of BDL Marine Systems (Poole, Dorset BH15 2DG, UK)
who foresee it being equally useful in sea, riverine, and lake operations,
for missions which could include rapid intervention by combat divers, agent
insertion, ship attack and reconnaissance, waterborne sabotage operations,
river crossings, and beach reconnaissance. According to the company a number
of potential customers are very interested in the Kraken 90, including at
least one in the Far East."

The accompanying photo shows an RIB with a the wheel, underwater motors, and
schnorkel mounted in the bow about where the air tubes turn towards each
other. The batteries are located in the stern just forward of the outboard.

So how would you like to be able to tie up to the wreck at 130' with a 10'
dock line?

And you thought this stuff was only in James Bond films.

Pete Johnson
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