Chase Boats

Here's a couple of pix of the toy boats that the Customs and Border Service are running around in up here to catch errant sailboats and criminal Canadians. That's four 350hp outboards for a total of 1400hp. They don't catch much in the line of bad guys at all.

If you want a great job running up and down the Straights and San Juans at 70kn with the taxpayers expense, apply now. Of course, you might get unlucky and get assigned to the southern border.

I would imagine that their pursuits are rather limited in range.
The boats do not look large enough to hold fuel for more than a half hour or so. At least not at anywhere near full throttle.


My tax $$ at work, indeed. (sigh)

I wonder if they have the nautical equivalent of the KC-135 that refuels the ANG jet fighters after they take off from the base @ PDX for mock battles over the Pacific?

One of the racing programs I once enjoyed had a 35-foot Protector as a "tender" for the race boat.

"Rum Runner" had 3 x 500hp outboards, along with a safety-tether (like a jet-ski has) for the helm because it was quite possible to get pulled backwards off the helm when you hammered the throttle. 0 to 70 faster than any car I've ever owned.

I have no idea what the runtime was, but the owners commonly used the tender to "commute" between their slip in Shilshole and their home on Orcas. In flat water, the trip (~65nm) took less than an hour, dock to dock.

It's an entirely different kind of "boating".

Power & speed

Ah, reminds me of Donald Cambell & his Bluebird. He was doing good, until he hit his wake.
Some peoples bright ideas require a size 14, properly placed.