Unnatural Water

This semi-submersible ship is used widely to carry cargo such as oil rigs and other large vessels. The Marlin class is capable of carrying semi-submersible rigs of up to 30,000 metric tonnes. Their large, free and open deck area makes the ships very suitable for skidding or rolling large cargoes onboard, and the ballasting system is especially designed for such operations. The U.S. Navy has used such ships to haul damaged war ships back to port. Such as the USS Cole battle ship when it was damaged. These types of boats can partially submerge itself for loading of such huge cargo, then it resurfaces with the cargo load aboard it.

Modern deep-diving equipment has been improved to permit descents to very great depths, such as the U.S. bathyscaphe, Trieste II, which descended to 35,798 ft in the Marianas Trench in 1960. Smaller, remote- controlled craft, such as the Jason, which was used to examine the sunken steamship Titanic, explore natural and humanmade underwater structures. Deep-diving craft provide invaluable direct observations of the deep ocean bottom, mid-ocean ridges, and marine life. Recent oceanographic studies include drilling of the seafloor.

As much as we may learn about our planet's underwater habitats through the use of satellites, shipboard sensors and divers, these technologies scratch only the surface of the oceans. Submersibles alone enable us to explore the abyssal depths. The link below of the Ocean Explorer Web site highlights some of the major advancements in submersible technology. These submersibles allow us to travel deeper and with a greater degree of freedom than ever before, so that we can observe, describe and ultimately explain the phenomena of life in the deep ocean realm.

The Thames Sea Forts of World War II are considered the direct predecessors of modern offshore oil platforms, having been pre-constructed in a very short time, they were then floated to their location and placed on the shallow bottom of the Thames estuary. In 1938, the Superior Oil company constructed the first offshore oil platform off the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. One such platform is currently drilling for oil near Blackfriar's Bridge. Work started in June 2008 and is expected to finish in October or November 2009. A typical oil production platform is self-sufficient in energy and water needs, housing electrical generation, water desalinators and all of the equipment necessary to process oil and gas. Given the number of grievances and conspiracy theories that involve the oil business, and the importance of gas/oil platforms to the economy, platforms in the United States are believed to be potential terrorist targets. Agencies and military units responsible for maritime counterterrorism in the US often train for platform raids.

Nautical engineers have long dreamed of a RV that could race across wave tops like a speedboat and seconds later dive beneath them like a submarine. But crossing the two breeds presents a catch-22: Subs need heft to sink, but speedboats need to be lightweight to go fast. With an investment of nearly $2 million and years of research, former auto-shop owner Reynolds Marion of Lake City, Florida, has finally hit on a solution, a machine has been dubbed the Hyper-Submersible Powerboat. When complete, it will reach speeds of up to 45 mph and dive down to 1,200 feet. Marion expects to start mass production next year, with the subs going for $2.5 to $4 million. This will be one expensive recreational vehicle.