230-seat Boeing 929 Jetfoil arriving at Nishinoomote Port in Japan. The passenger ship is used for high-speed service between Kagoshima and Yakushima and includes 16 premium seats with extra-cushioned seating

[u/solateor]

[u/-UncreativeRedditor-]

A boat that big doesn’t look like it should be able to move that fast damn

[u/solateor → u/-UncreativeRedditor-]

Its bc of the 16 extra cushy seats

[u/funesky → u/solateor]

Those 16 seats must have some serious horsepower underneath.

[u/Ardbeg66 → u/funesky]

You get what you pay for with the new Mitsubishi Flatulence Drive.

[u/StevieMJH → u/solateor]

Well yeah those are for the 16 guys pedalling.

[u/CrashNowhereDrive → u/-UncreativeRedditor-]

Bigger boats move faster than smaller ones. Google 'hull speed'. In this case, the hydroplaning is there to overcome that issue so it can go faster than hull speed.

[u/Space_Pirate_R → u/CrashNowhereDrive]

That's true, but only to a certain extent even for displacement hulls.

For example, a Zebra class destroyer is ~363' long and does ~37 knots. Compare a King George V class battleship at ~745' long and ~28 knots.

Both of this ships are WWII era technology (ie. no fancy tricks). The destroyer is not a catamaran and does not use foils or plane.

Hull speed calculation would indicate that the destroyer is limited to ~25 knots but it has a very high power to weight ratio and just brute forces it's way past the standing wave limit.

[u/CrashNowhereDrive → u/Space_Pirate_R]

"no fancy tricks" except that the destroyer was basically all engine at 40,000 shaft horsepower for a 1700 ton vessel, had a semi planing hull, and a beam to length ratio of 10:1.

But yeah, no fancy tricks other than building it like a modern day cigarette boat - another way to exceed hull speed, by again planing the vessel. 🙄

Please try to not complete BS things on reddit. You might get caught at it.

[u/literally_wrong_bot → u/CrashNowhereDrive]

the destroyer was basically all engine at 40,000 shaft horsepower for a 1700 ton vessel

That's exactly what the guy above said. It has a very high power to weight ratio.

had a semi planing hull

Not true. Z-class destroyer has a traditional round bilge displacement hull.

like a modern day cigarette boat

A cigarette boat planes. A WWII destroyer is not in the slightest like a modern day cigarette boat.

I'm not sure what exactly you're arguing here. It's well known that the "hull speed" calculation has numerous exceptions, and it certainly doesn't support the unqualified assertion that "Bigger boats move faster than smaller ones."

[u/a_very_naughty_girl → u/CrashNowhereDrive]

Big boats go faster than small boats

...unless the small boat designers do the most obvious things to go faster, like a big engine and a more streamlined hull. Because that's... cheating?

It's true that WWII destroyers are faster than WWII battleships despite being half the size. This isn't some big secret or recently discovered technology. Also small multihulls go faster than large monohulls. Also small planing boats go faster than large displacement hulls. Also small hydrofoils go faster than large displacement hulls.

At some point, maybe you just need to accept that "Big boats go faster than small boats" is only true in a very narrow range of circumstances, and in reality the world is full of small boats that go faster than large boats.

[u/clam-inspector → u/-UncreativeRedditor-]

Agreed, but also strapping 7,000 to 8,000 horsepower on a relatively small passenger boat meant to glide over the water is some serious power. For comparison, small to mid-sized cruise ships that experience the drag of a fully-berthed hull (think normal boat and ship operation) average around 15,000 HP. So that amount of HP with the minimal water contact on the hull is honestly wild

[u/Straight_Number5661 → u/clam-inspector]

I wonder if this area has like Water Traffic Control. Like ATC for aviation?

[u/Swirl_On_Top → u/-UncreativeRedditor-]

Apparently has the juice of almost 8000 horses.

[u/slavelabor52 → u/Swirl_On_Top]

It's called blood okay

[u/genreprank → u/slavelabor52]

Good guess, but it's a different horse fluid

https://i.imgur.com/wlrpnnS.gif

[u/Skibidibum69 → u/-UncreativeRedditor-]

That’s the beauty of hydrofoil though, as soon as they start letting off the throttle and it starts sinking to where it’s wider, it slows down quickly and smoothly

[u/LegallyAFlamingo → u/-UncreativeRedditor-]

Second part of the video is sped up.

[u/niceshotpilot]

I didn't think it was that interesting until I read the part about the cushioned seats. It was at that point that I said to myself, "Damn."

[u/colecrowder → u/niceshotpilot]

It's the little things.

[u/niceshotpilot → u/colecrowder]

I never did mind...about the little things.

[u/_thro_awa_ → u/niceshotpilot]

That's what she said.

[u/Gold_Telephone_7192 → u/niceshotpilot]

Right? 16 whole premium seats?

[u/kds0321]

First one built in 1976, 46 total built, can travel between 40-45 knots (46-52 MPH).

[u/solateor → u/kds0321]

The two gas turbines producing roughly 3,700–3,800 horsepower each

[u/Valuable-Yard-4154 → u/solateor]

I used to take it between Ostend and Dover. It's impressive when you pass other boats as you realise of the speed you're going at. Quite noisy those turbo pumps at the back. 7 tons of water thrust a second iirc.

[u/Techno_Beiber → u/Valuable-Yard-4154]

Imagine being a fish just chillin and this fucking thing comes roaring by. JFC.

[u/Background-Bad-7510 → u/Valuable-Yard-4154]

Wish they offered this again. Never truly experienced these ferries but heard so many stories about it. People going on a daytrip to London, Dover or Ramsgate from Ostend. Transport me back to the 80’s!

Edit: Ramsgate instead of Folkstone

[u/Think_Positively → u/Valuable-Yard-4154]

How do they slow down? My first thought was that if the captain isn't paying attention for whatever reason, it'll be real easy to make a colossal mistake that would lead to a stupid amount of force should it collide with something.

[u/Cheezeball25 → u/Think_Positively]

I presume if you cut throttle and the hull of the boat stops hydroplaning, it will stop pretty fast once it's sitting farther into the water. It can only go so fast because it's riding on top of the water instead of going through it

[u/kds0321 → u/Think_Positively]

Its a boat. Tons of water friction. I've had a few boats up to 40 MPH and they slow down extremely quickly when you throttle back. There's definitely risk if you hit anything, but a boat that size you'd see it coming... easier than driving a car in a lot of ways. Also keep in mind the captain sits up a few stories, so he has tremendous line of sight. A foggy day would be the real risk (they gave radar for other commercial boats but logs or smaller craft could pose a problem).

[u/Think_Positively → u/kds0321]

Do you think the physics math would scale from a speedboat (assuming that's what you're referencing to have piloted) to something yacht-sized? Can you throttle back in the same way with those gargantuan engines as you could with a couple of 1K HP motors?

Just genuinely curious as I've never piloted anything bigger than a 5HP electric motor rowboat.

[u/railker → u/Think_Positively]

I don't know about something this big, but the jet drives on the coast guard and navy boats have thrust reversers like a plane - hydraulic actuators dump a "bucket" over the outlet nozzle which redirects all the thrust sideways/forward.

Never seen video but reportedly the almost 90' boat could stop so hard it would bury the bow underwater briefly.

[u/wd26 → u/Think_Positively]

I mean, if you watch to the end of the video, you can see them throttle back and slow down quite quickly.

[u/Valuable-Yard-4154 → u/Think_Positively]

So it's interesting. They announce that "we'll be flying at 2 metres of altitude" as it is indeed a aeronef. The wings are in the water.

The acceleration is progressive and smooth.

The slowing down is just by the friction of the hull on the water.

The service doesn't work if the sea is too choppy because you don't want to hit a wave at 100km/h.

[u/funesky → u/solateor]

Those 16 seats are clearly where all the speed is generated.

[u/xenobit_pendragon → u/funesky]

It’s the extra cushioning that does it.

[u/xteve → u/xenobit_pendragon]

Can nobody consider the rich people?

[u/canman7373 → u/funesky]

They carry 250 people or more. So that's a lot of row power.

[u/PM_ME_JUSTIN_TRUDEAU → u/funesky]

...from the passengers shitting their pants or?

[u/ToolTimeT → u/solateor]

why can't everyone on board just hop up and down like on those foil boards?

[u/Karr0k → u/ToolTimeT]

That is what the other 214 passengers are doing.

[u/ConflictMaster3155 → u/Karr0k]

Big Jet Turbine hates this one simple trick.

[u/Flashy_Gap_3015 → u/solateor]

What is the efficiency of those turbines? Sounds like it blows through a lot of gas.

[u/that_dutch_dude → u/Flashy_Gap_3015]

at full power they are more efficent than piston engines.

[u/Any_Show_5160 → u/Flashy_Gap_3015]

Turbines are about the same as piston engines under load, the major difference is at low speeds and idle, turbines use a lot of fuel to idle, from memory it's 70% of full throttle fuel use.

[u/GroundbreakingGur930 → u/solateor]

Are these more or less efficient for distance travelled.

[u/Fanastik → u/kds0321]

45 Knots = 83.34 Kilometers per Hour

[u/bendersbitch → u/Fanastik]

Thank you for your service.

[u/oddministrator → u/bendersbitch]

They're called knots because historically sailors would measure speed by tossing a device overboard, and let to run out behind them on a rope. The rope had equidistant knots tied in it and they'd literally count how many knots of the rope the device would drag out behind them over a short time. More knots = going faster

[u/AgreeablePeople → u/oddministrator]

That explanation is why I always thought of it as distance than speed as a child. I insisted on saying "knots per hour" even after the teacher corrected me

[u/Ordolph → u/AgreeablePeople]

Nowadays knot is just shorthand for nautical miles per hour, 1 knot is 1 nautical mile per hour.

[u/Cirrus-Nova → u/Ordolph]

And 1 nautical mile is approximately 1 minute of latitude (1 x 60th of a degree)

[u/brightlights55 → u/Cirrus-Nova]

Can someone explain? One minute of latitude at the Equator is different from one minute of latitude at the Tropic of Cancer.

[u/Cirrus-Nova → u/brightlights55]

I think you are referring to longitude, which is the east/west direction. These lines are closer together the closer you get to the poles. Latitude is the north/south direction and run parallel to the equator.

While there is some slight difference in the distance away from the equator (the earth is not a perfect sphere) it is close enough to hold true .

[u/aimernius → u/brightlights55]

I understand why you got confused.
With latitude, although the lines run parallel to the Equator and it would seem logical to define a point along a line, in this case it is the entire line/circle itself that determines a north–south position. If you cut the Earth in half and look at it from the side, the radii extending from the center of the Earth toward its surface (for example, at 1-degree intervals) create these lines of latitude. The distance between them is equal if we divide the starting angles into 1-degree increments. However we can also use arc minutes, which is what gives us the definition of a nautical mile.
Longitude, on the other hand, consists of vertical lines running in a north–south direction, but here we don’t define a point along the line itself. Instead, what matters is the position of a particular line. We arbitrarily chose Greenwich as the reference point, and from there we determine how many lines east or west a given line is.

[u/buzzsawjoe → u/oddministrator]

they used an hourglass as a timing device. Not an hour one, just a fews seconds one.

[u/clegg2011 → u/Fanastik]

45 knots = 7.5 cables per minute

[u/Kodai_Dreaming → u/clegg2011]

7.5 cables per minute = 15 copper wire per minute

[u/Old_Anadromous → u/Kodai_Dreaming]

That sounds most Satisfactory.

[u/No-Emergency4880 → u/Fanastik]

damn.. that's hella fast

[u/mrASSMAN → u/kds0321]

What the hell, this is wild never seen one before, how come we don’t have more of these (aside from cost I guess)

[u/Newsdriver245 → u/mrASSMAN]

Long ago there was a run between Seattle and Victoria BC and one of the concerns was floating driftwood, but think the real reason it ended fast was cost. The old steamship was still running and cost 1/4 the price for a few extra hours travel time.

[u/BaDcHaD23 → u/Newsdriver245]

I remember this!! Damn im old

[u/poobumstupidcunt → u/mrASSMAN]

Yeah cost is the main factor, they take a fair bit of maintenance and upkeep, there are a lot of them around though, took a hydrofoil in Greece to go to an island and it was half the time of the normal ferry

[u/DopeRidge → u/kds0321]

Fun fact, my grandfather was one of the weights engineers for the 929

[u/NotInTheKnee → u/kds0321]

It's crazy to imagine that some WWII destroyers built half a century earlier could reach that kind of speed with a conventional hull and 25x the mass.

I wonder how fast the Boeing could go if pushed to the limit.

[u/kds0321 → u/NotInTheKnee]

Oh, pushing to the limit a lot is possible. Hell, nuclear warships can get up to 35-40 knots and way bigger. Lighten up the ship with less armor plating and a hull design made for speed vs damage control. Hydroplanes can go 200+ MPH... so if you got really creative you could make things happen, but the fuel economics would be insane.

[u/fractiousrhubarb → u/kds0321]

And they only need refuelling every 25 years. Nuclear ships are nuts.

[u/ryumast4r → u/fractiousrhubarb]

The Virginia class submarines don't even get refueled at all during their 30+ years at sea.

[u/Thebraincellisorange → u/NotInTheKnee]

and burning colossal amounts of coal or heavy fuel oil to do it for only short periods of time.

This thing can do it all day every day burning diesel at (relatively) economical rates.

[u/h3fabio → u/kds0321]

I took the hydrofoil across the channel when visiting my grandparents in the UK.

[u/Darkomax → u/h3fabio]

Wasn't it a hovercraft? Or did both exist?

[u/Vishnuisgod → u/kds0321]

Are they all still operational?

[u/Bloobeard2018 → u/Vishnuisgod]

6 still operate between Hong Kong and Macau.

[u/kds0321 → u/Vishnuisgod]

Sounds like maybe 15-20 are. Similar but different, we have the Victoria Clippers in Seattle/Vancouver that are also still going strong and a blast to ride.

[u/Vishnuisgod → u/kds0321]

The Clipper is not a hydrofoil it's a catamaran. Nor are the Hullo ferry.

[u/kds0321 → u/Vishnuisgod]

Yup, that was the different part... the speed was similar.

[u/Allronix1 → u/kds0321]

Ah the Clipper. Wonderful trip and I make a beeline to Murchies

[u/Southern_Armadillo_3 → u/kds0321]

Who care about how many extra cushioned seats, THIS is what i wanna know

[u/antek_asing → u/kds0321]

with 40-45 knot that thing likely wont appear at other ship ecdis/radar monitor since high speed craft usually at 25 knot top, the radar software will likely identify this ship as a bird not ship. also i want to see what their AIS look like in other ship ecdis since its double the 23 knot rule.

[u/Majestic_Turnip_7614]

I am very happy to hear about the premium seating, great context. Posters so often miss the pertinent details.

[u/solateor → u/Majestic_Turnip_7614]

Got you.

Gallery of where the plebs sit vs xtra cushy

[u/cyriustalk → u/solateor]

Those for plebs seem cushy enough?

for extras, whats more? Few more centis of butt cushions and head guards?

[u/idahotee → u/cyriustalk]

status baby.

[u/SandIntelligent247 → u/idahotee]

status cushion

[u/SpectatorSpace → u/cyriustalk]

The pleb seats on this boat are tiny relative to typical western sizes. My knees were hard locked up against the seat in front of me when I rode it - I think the check-in staff felt sorry for me on the return journey as they gave me an upgrade to the premium seats with quite a bit more room.

[u/Deep90 → u/SpectatorSpace]

How long is the trip and do you have to remain seated?

[u/SpectatorSpace → u/Deep90]

From memory each leg was about 1.5 hours - I don't remember you having to sit, but its much more akin to a plane ride than a normal boat - there aren't communal or outside areas to go and use.

[u/2012Jesusdies → u/solateor]

Fun fact: Plebiean in Rome wasn't just about wealth. You could be the richest man in Rome and still be a pleb (in fact, Crassus, the richest man was a pleb) because it was more about a legal distinction of your family lineage from centuries back. If your family wasn't among the few notables of the oldest days of Rome, you were a pleb. Ofc, you were more likely to be rich if you were patrician than a pleb, but there were plenty of wealthy plebs.

[u/Over-Inside-7254 → u/solateor]

Literally like any first class seating on any types of busses. Yes, ferries, trains, and passenger jets are just different types of bus. 

[u/grudiz]

Some of the ships operating in Japan arrived from the Canary Islands (Spain), where they had previously run routes between islands like Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the Atlantic Ocean; they are now living a second life. I used them on many occasions, and in rough seas, the experience was a total nightmare. There were also several collisions with cetaceans. On days with calm seas, however, it was a fast way to travel between islands.

[u/NoodlyGirl2000 → u/grudiz]

the collisions are heartbreaking, but completely unsurprising

[u/A_Man_Uses_A_Name → u/grudiz]

Jet foils also used to run between Ostend and the UK….

[u/mbenzn → u/grudiz]

I remember taking this route in mid 80’s between Gran Canaria and Tenerife. Took 4,5 hours with the car ferry one way and this beast 90 minutes. It had a Boeing sticker on it so I guess they were involved in the build?

[u/Camelstrike → u/mbenzn]

It's literally in the title

[u/EthernetWavesFr → u/Camelstrike]

No surprises from pisa-oecd results 

[u/Head-Ad9893]

Damn that bitch is moving

[u/AdNervous9787 → u/Head-Ad9893]

Look! Look how that bitch is turning!

[u/Glittering_Act_8121 → u/AdNervous9787]

That's a huge bitch

[u/Sharpie1965 → u/Glittering_Act_8121]

Keep it in the circus!

[u/degeneratesumbitch → u/Sharpie1965]

Freak!

[u/Background-Vast-8764]

TIL Boeing builds water craft. Who woulda thunk it?

[u/DrBiochemistry → u/Background-Vast-8764]

It’s flying reaaaall low. 

[u/Far_Ladder_2836 → u/Background-Vast-8764]

They don't.   Not for many decades, anyway.  Most of these were built back in the 70s and early 80s.  Their subsidiary, Boeing Watercraft, shuddered in 1986.

[u/HolySchlamola → u/Far_Ladder_2836]

I shutter to think 🪟

[u/balrob → u/HolySchlamola]

Your point is mute.

[u/Kaboose666 → u/Far_Ladder_2836]

Japan kept the tradition. Kawasaki has been making them since the late 1980s, the most recent built in 2020, and another expected in 2029.

[u/NPCwithnopurpose → u/Background-Vast-8764]

It kinda looks like they used the same seats as the aircraft, from what OP posted in another thread

[u/prehensilemullet → u/Background-Vast-8764]

Boeing?  More like Boeting

[u/Key_Pitch5102 → u/Background-Vast-8764]

Same! I thought for some reason these were made by kawasaki

[u/JeffDSmith → u/Key_Pitch5102]

Part of them are licensed built by Kawasaki, like the Toppy 3 in the video.
In fact Boeing stopped building these in the 1980s, most of newer one are built by Kawasaki(there's even one going to deliver in 2029).

[u/readonlyred → u/Background-Vast-8764]

In the 1970's they also built mass transit equipment.

[u/Cool_Butterscotch_88]

that simply should not be

[u/menasan → u/Cool_Butterscotch_88]

The wales agree

[u/56seconds → u/menasan]

I don't care about the opinions of the Welsh

[u/Montymisted → u/56seconds]

Don't let the Belgians hear you say that.

[u/RobinSage43 → u/Montymisted]

At least they're not the Dutch, okay?

[u/shornscrot → u/RobinSage43]

There’s two things I can’t stand. People who don’t respect other people’s cultures, and the Dutch.

[u/LengthinessFalse8373 → u/menasan]

*welsh

Edit- very cool to see 5 people got it cheers boyos

[u/NoodlyGirl2000 → u/menasan]

yeah that was my thought, too. it’s a technological marvel but I bet it produces a crazy amount of marine noise.

[u/Salty_Finance5183]

Puget Sound boy here... Why don't we have these running between Seattle and Vancouver or Victoria?

[u/nightshift2525 → u/Salty_Finance5183]

Used to exist, nobody used it and it closed up shop, moved elsewhere.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/boeing-built-hydrofoils-once-skimmed-across-puget-sound/

[u/BoneDoktr]

I wanna know fuel costs. A regular boat eats gas. This thing though????

[u/tackleboxjohnson → u/BoneDoktr]

Less than you might imagine, the main benefit of getting on foils is your friction coefficient goes waaaaaay down. 80-90% reduction in resistance

[u/ImpressiveHair3 → u/BoneDoktr]

Much less than if it was moving through the water like a normal boat, since the additional water resistance would require far more power to maintain the same speed.

[u/CrashNowhereDrive → u/BoneDoktr]

This is burning 570 gallons of fuel oil per hour.

[u/tankmode → u/BoneDoktr]

apparently its 2-3x worse than a conventional ferry or aircraft on fuel per passenger mile

[u/HeartOn_SoulAceUp]

Hydro foils are great in fairly smooth water.

Light chop they stay above. Big seas, no.

[u/CrashNowhereDrive → u/HeartOn_SoulAceUp]

Depends what you call big seas. Big ones like this can handle 10-15 foot swells. It's not going to go into a north sea storm but that's most ocean conditions at most times of the year.

[u/Better-Culture-7770 → u/HeartOn_SoulAceUp]

I rode one to Mackinaw island I believe.

[u/tackleboxjohnson]

Sure hope the cabin is soundproofed

[u/bacon_nuts → u/tackleboxjohnson]

It's a good ride, very comfortable, smooth, fast, and just typical boat engine noise. It's not too loud at all.

[u/Mudpill → u/bacon_nuts]

Partly due to the extra cushy seats

[u/ProcyonHabilis → u/tackleboxjohnson]

From experience, it's a very pleasant ride

[u/tr00th]

TIL Boeing made hydrofoil ships.

[u/basswooddad]

RIP to any whales that are swimming there

[u/AspiringSkiBum]

Went on this pretty recently and it’s smooth and really quick. They also had TVs playing the whole time with a pretty graphic advertisement for an ingrown toenail procedure. Good stuff.

[u/heroin-puppy → u/AspiringSkiBum]

Sounds like you didn't get the premium seats.

[u/bogeyman_g]

I thought Boeing made airpla... Oh.

[u/marcandreewolf]

The fish, jellyfish and whale slicer arrives

[u/Soundwave234]

Some bond villain shit here.

[u/fraze2000]

Life hack: don't pay for a premium seat. Buy a standard ticket and bring your own cushion. Profit!

[u/Sedert1882]

That's astonishingly beautiful, so smooth and fast. I want one......for the bath.

[u/ShartKing78 → u/Sedert1882]

I usually don't give a shit about boats but this one is really beautiful

[u/Lysol3435]

16 cushioned seats!?

[u/Soundwave234 → u/Lysol3435]

"extra" cushioned

[u/Nervous_Law3061]

230 passengers, 16 premium seats, and the entire ship appears to be attempting to leave the ocean.

[u/Prudent-Aspect5085]

I'm just imagining some dude on the jetty with a remote control having the time of his life steering this thing

[u/nthpwr]

This should be in the dictionary when you look up "hauling ass"

[u/somerussianbear]

- Hey Boeing, wanna make a boat?

• Hmmm, can it fly?
  
• No
  
• Just a little?
  
• Ok ok

[u/AwakE432]

Fee like the least interesting fact about this boat is it has cushioned premium seats. What a fucking weird title.

[u/Hot-Helicopter640]

How doesn't it tip over?

[u/Frangine_De_Poutine]

I'm salivating at the thought of those sixteen seats.

[u/LordScotchyScotch]

Transport tycoon vibes

[u/whataloadofoldshit_]

TIL Boeing made boats

[u/Oddisredit]

I don’t care about the cushions making it go faster. I’m surprised Boeing was involved in this. Kawasaki industries, makes sense, Boeing is a surprise 

[u/Murky-Relation481 → u/Oddisredit]

Boeing was in major financial trouble in the late 60s and 70s and was trying to diversify. They also had Boeing Vertol (an acquisition) that built helicopters. I think that rolled into the main company eventually (at least into BDS).

[u/Oddisredit → u/Murky-Relation481]

I would have thought Vietnam would have made Boeing more stable. Interesting 

Also in the 60-70s conglomerates we’re all the rage 

[u/Murky-Relation481 → u/Oddisredit]

Eh, they had some tanker contracts and maintenance contracts in the B-52 but not really much else related to Vietnam. Their main business has always been commercial airliners.

[u/Oddisredit → u/Murky-Relation481]

Oh that’s right. This is before the Lockheed Martin merger. 

[u/Murky-Relation481 → u/Oddisredit]

I think you meant McDonnell Douglas

[u/GottaConfuseTheBody]

I rode on one of these through rough seas between Hong Kong and Macau. Every passenger threw up

[u/joe28598]

Is the extra cushion the only perk for premium?

[u/tonymeech]

Ludicrous Speed!!

[u/thesagaconts]

I tried it without music and was surprised there wasn’t a silly song. 

[u/GarThor_TMK]

Heck, I want one.

[u/himitsumono]

I rode a smaller version of this in 1987 between Shikoku and Kobe. It felt like riding in a very comfortable airplane. Quiet, smooth, very gentle turns.

We mentioned to the stewardess that the engines were most likely built 10 miles or so from our house. A few minutes later, the captain came back to say hello and chat.

[u/Euphoric-Skirt7649]

Japan really is an irl video game

Americans would be like “why make a boat so fast and aerodynamic? It won’t make any money!”

Japan is like “we can make it bigger, faster, sexier”

[u/GOTCHA009]

Serious question: why are hydrofoils not more popular?

[u/Silver-Literature-54]

2hours by jetfoil, 4h30 by regular ferry btw. Saw it last year arriving at the port, that thing is crazy loud ! And it wasn’t at full speed

[u/Scorpion2k4u]

The mentioning of those 16 extra cushioned seats is a weird flex but okay

[u/Panorabifle → u/Scorpion2k4u]

Yeah it's a surprisingly small amount given the size of the ship. Looks like a single row could almost house 16 premium seats. Two at most.

16 out of 230 seats are announced as comfortable. A great ~7% .

[u/turbopro25]

A whopping 16 huh?

[u/icleanjaxfl]

Seems kinda loud

[u/ProcyonHabilis → u/icleanjaxfl]

Maybe outside, but it's not notably loud inside

[u/Half-deaf-mixed-guy]

Best America can do is a class room sized 357.

[u/CherryPeppersnOnions]

Hauling ass on the water. Damn!

[u/daaaabeans]

I remember seeing this in the beginning of rush hour 2. Pretty cool :)

[u/FormalTotal9684]

I saw this at start of Poseidon Adventure

[u/Available-Ad-9016]

The landing in the end was similar to airplane landing

[u/Inhabitsthebed]

It looks like a large wave could knock it over easy, anyone with boat knowledge able to tell me how big the boat is under the water if that makes sense?

[u/NitroEagleFist]

Fast for sure, but uuggly looks like a modded hillbilly houseboat.

[u/bishmashbosh]

This thing is cool but fucking terrifying

[u/Inevitable_Boss5846]

I rode this a couple of times in January. It’s awesome! Quite uncomfortable.

[u/YesterdayRadish]

that thing doesn't look 50 years old

[u/FatiguedShrimp]

It is so ridiculous that jet foils work.

[u/crowface666]

Extra cushioning LoL

[u/BearelyKoalified]

extra cushioned seating? huh?

[u/accwork8723]

what is the equivalent MPG per seat, out of curiosity?

[u/Keisaku]

Never knew a ship could gumby.

[u/ShiggyGoosebottom]

I think we call this a “jet ferry” in Japan. I’ve taken the one between Tokyo and Izu-Oshima. Until you get out of the Tokyo Bay it’s just like any ferry. Then you have to sit down and strap in for take off.

[u/Linden_Stromberg]

I WANNA FLY THE BOAT!!!

[u/koyo4]

I've been on it. Supe fun

[u/Critical_Advantage66]

Oh! I’ve ridden on this exact boat. It’s unbelievably smooth!

[u/Katana_DV20]

These are so cool and the idea is so clever. Water causes a lot of drag on a hull sitting in the water - which in turn costs more in fuel and affects speed.

Why not lift the hull out of the water using underwater wings? Brilliant.

[u/UncleKeyPax]

only a bit alower than godzilla

[u/johndom3d]

I’m surprised warships aren’t like that

[u/FredW79]

Loved to see these at Ostend when I was a kid.

[u/floppydo]

I WONDER WHY THESE AREN'T MORE POPULAR?

WHAT?

I SAID I WONDER WHY THESE AREN'T MORE POPULAR?

WHAT?