A Russian Hydrofoil !?!? never seen one of these before!

[larrylamb11]

I reckoned I'd seen pretty much all the cool looking old boats out there, but I have never seen anything like this! This thing is astonishing! What an utterly fabulous looking, funky old thing....

Anyone seen one of these in the UK before?
How rare is this?
How did I not know about these?

Beware the dangers of browsing eBay.... oh to have the wherewithal to do this justice...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223125395067?

[Equus]

I'd spotted that via another source... I have to say, I'd be seriously tempted, if I had somewhere to put it.

[Huntsman]

There's at least one other in the UK. Perhaps 2. One was Solent based and one up north was auctioned about 5 years back. But might be the same boat. I loose track. So perhaps 3. But defo not many.

I dreamt of running one down the Volga all the way to the Caspian sea at speed! That would be worth doing!

They are not really my specialist area, that's Huntsman obvs.

I've got the space and the know how and have put in a low ball offer.

[Krikkit]

What a lovely thing, looks like it's powerless at the moment though which is a shame, the original engine would be worth having too.

[Steve_D]

Huntsman said:

.....I've got the space and the know how and have put in a low ball offer.

That'll make short work of the 'Round Island'.

Steve

[ecsrobin]

The short clip from pathe https://www.britishpathe.com/video/russian-hydrofo...

[Some Guy]

I was expecting/hoping to see one of these.



I have seen loads offered for sale over the years. Often quite cheaply.

[skeeterm5]

I went on one the these ^^^ across the bay in St Petersburgh. The weather was pretty choppy but once the boat got going and lifted it smoothed out very nicely.

S

[ecsrobin]

Some Guy said:

I was expecting/hoping to see one of these.



I have seen loads offered for sale over the years. Often quite cheaply.

They have these in Amsterdam great service and pretty fast.

[Steve_D]

Did you win it Ben?

Steve

[Huntsman]

Steve_D said:

Did you win it Ben?

Steve

Nope. Not me. I got it wrong. i didn't think there would be any bids, looked like a they did very well to me.

Good luck to whoever has taken it on.

(Its fine, I need another project like a hole in the head at the moment)

[alangla]

Some Guy said:

I was expecting/hoping to see one of these.



I have seen loads offered for sale over the years. Often quite cheaply.

When someone mentioned the Caspian, I was hoping for this - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspian_Sea_Monster
Or this - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartini_Beriev_VVA-1...

Neither are Hydrofoils, but you'd scare the living crap out of anyone within 50 miles if you turned up to the Cowes or Henley regattas in one of them.

[Huntsman]

alangla said:

When someone mentioned the Caspian, I was hoping for this - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspian_Sea_Monster
Or this - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartini_Beriev_VVA-1...

Neither are Hydrofoils, but you'd scare the living crap out of anyone within 50 miles if you turned up to the Cowes or Henley regattas in one of them.

If you turned up at Henley with an Ekranoplan you'd destroy most of the regatta. Cowes might be fun.

A chum of mine suggested not bidding on the Volga, but holding out for an Ekranoplan...

[dhutch]

larrylamb11 said:

I reckoned I'd seen pretty much all the cool looking old boats out there, but I have never seen anything like this! This thing is astonishing! What an utterly fabulous looking, funky old thing....

Anyone seen one of these in the UK before?
How rare is this?
How did I not know about these?

Beware the dangers of browsing eBay.... oh to have the wherewithal to do this justice...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223125395067?

Yes, found that myself and shared it round the office here (Engineering office of a RIB design & manu company) and we all agreed that it was very nice and a bit special.

Quite honestly, if I could take on another project, that would be well on the list. I messaged the seller and understand the boat is on its way to Ipswitch. Hopefully she has found a good home, I would love to have a run on her.

Highlight of my week in Garda (other than great week with my girlfriend, cracking weather, and the awesome food) was a run on the Hydrofoil, big drainpipe exhausts down each side, turbo spooled up, cloud of black smoke, then as its all runs clear you lift out of the water and fly!


Daniel



Daniel

[Captain Smerc]

Caspian Sea Monster ...

Edited by Captain Smerc on Wednesday 12th September 17:47

[TWPC]

ecsrobin said:

Some Guy said:

I was expecting/hoping to see one of these.



I have seen loads offered for sale over the years. Often quite cheaply.

They have these in Amsterdam great service and pretty fast.

On our honeymoon in 1998, the wife and I travelled in one of these from Dar-es-Salaam to Zanzibar. It was one of those great holiday surprises: pretty noisy but fast and I think got us to Zanzibar in under 2 hours. Doesn't it look fantastic - a Soviet/Jules Verne/Buck Rogers dream machine?

[100SRV]

Some Guy said:

Pretty sure that these were in Kos harbour running trips to Bodrum years ago. The travel company only offered one trip of interest to me - Hydrofoil trip to Bodrum. Trip to Turkey on a Hydrofoil...yes please.

Arrived at port and embarked on a normal ship :-(

[bluesatin]

I put a bid in but failed! Would have been a great project for next few years and something very different .Not suitable for the Thames but trips back from the Bounty would have been fun!

[dhutch]

bluesatin said:

I put a bid in...!

Good lad! I was watching it and if it had failed to sell would have certainly contacted the seller and seen how desperate he was for the space, as for a grand it would have fitted up the top end of the drive and I would have risked the incoming flax.

As it is I contacted him anyway and congratulated him on the sale and wished the boat an him the best. I hope it's found a deserving home that his the time needed to see it through. Cracking piece of history.


Daniel

[Glosphil]

Went on one of these in Moscow around 1978. Some were diesel powered and some were gas turbine.