A charming little tugboat whose size resembles that of a Ford-150 is trending on social media as the smallest ship in the US Navy. It is a security tug known as the Bommin Beaver, which is 19 feet long.
The main reasons for which it was built included herding the logs in waterways. However, it is now being used by the US navy as a vessel for various tasks. Such as towing the small ships and deploying floating security boundaries/ fences.
Using it for this purpose ensures that the large submarines, destroyers, and aircraft carriers don’t encounter uninvited visitors. Earlier this week, the miniature boat first emerged on Reddit. These were made for the lodgers and, of course, for the US navy by Chucks Boat and Drive located in Longview Washington.
To accommodate various harbor duties was one reason for the U.S. navy to purchase these tiny boats. One Reddit user quoted, “It’s a security tug. These protective barriers surrounding the water portion of the navy base don’t move. It’s is similar to opening the gate for cattle to go in and out. Unlock it, unlatch it, swing it open, and close it when the ship has passed.” Google maps do show these Boomin Beavers at the USS constitution museum in Boston. It can also be sighted here at the Boston Harbour. It is described as “operating the floating barrier” here, which surrounds the oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. navy.
These ships can also be seen at various naval bases across the country. Some of these bases include Naval Base Kitsap Bangor and Naval Base San Diego.
As depicted in the images, all of the Bomin Beavers are stationed close to the floating security nets. These nets serve as the boundaries to the billion-dollar warships. It is a do not cross ‘line’ that keeps the local ships away.
You can witness similar tugs at Norfolk Naval Station and Kings Bay, Georgia. 2006’s government auction featured one of these tiny boats. According to the listing, the specifications of these miniature boats described it as 19 feet long and 10 feet wide along with a draft of 5 feet. In particular, the engine specs stated that it had a Cummins 6BTA5.9 diesel engine rated at 260 hp with ZF marine transmission.
It managed to get the highest bid of $100025, which, without any doubt, seems a lot of money for a boat this size. Although as we all know that navy ships are not cheap.