Largest Hovercraft
The ZUBR hovercraft of the Russian
Navy is the largest hovercraft in existence. The
ZUBR has a displacement of 555 tons and is 57.3
metres long. Used as a landing craft the ZUBR can
carry 8 tanks and 140 personnel. |
Largest Submarine, Typhoon Class
The Russian Typhoon-class submarines are the largest
submarines ever built. Now retired, the gigantic
undersea monsters first entered service in 1981.
They were 574 feet (175 metres) long, 75 feet (23
meters) wide, and had a crew of 160 men. |
Fastest Boat, Spirit of Australia
The fastest boat in the world is the Spirit of Australia.
It is a wooden-hulled speed boat built in a backyard
in Sydney by Ken Warby. On October 8 1978 she was
officially clocked at 317 mph (511 km/h). Power
came from a J34 jet engine normally found in jet
fighters and other aircraft. Despite several attempts
to take the record, a few of them fatal, the Spirit
of Australia remains the fastest boat in the world. |
Largest Warships, Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carrier
The Nimitz-class or American aircraft carriers are
the largest warships the world has ever seen. The
first vessels were commissioned in 1975 and since
then 10 have been constructed. They measure in at
1,092 feet (332 metres) long, and 252 feet (76.8
metres) wide. Onboard are 3,200 sailors and a further
2,480 who service, maintain and operate the up to
130 aircraft. Although typically the carriers play
host to 64 aircraft of different varieties. |
World's Smallest Submarine
The world's smallest submarine was built by Pierre
Poulin of Canada. It made it's first official dive
in the Memphremagog Lake, Quebec on June 26 2005.
Ironically called 'BIG' the submarine weighs just
620 kgs - including pilot. During its official dive
the sub stayed underwater for 43 minutes at a depth
of 5 metres and traveled roughly 500 m (1,500 ft). |
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Deepest Submarine dive, Bathyscaph Trieste
The Bathyscaph Trieste reached a
record depth of 35,800 ft (6.78 miles) at Challenger
Deep off Guam (the lowest point of any ocean).
The two men who made the descent were Lt. Don Walsh
of the US Navy, and Swiss scientist Jacques Piccard.
The only habitable part of the Trieste is the 6
ft x 6 ft sphere hanging from the main body. |
Largest Private Yacht, Prince Abdul Aziz
Prince Abdul Aziz is the largest megayacht at 482
ft. It was commissioned by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia.
The Prince Abdul Aziz reportedly cost $184 million
and features a hospital, Cinema and mosque, amongst
the usual luxuries. For more luxury yachts visit
the powerboats
section. |
Longest Ship, Seawise Giant
The longest ship in the world was Seawise Giant.
It was a supertanker built in 1979 by Sumitomo Heavy
Industries Ltd. at their shipyard in Japan. Seawise
Giant was 1,504 feet (458 meters) long. That's nearly
half a kilometer! She was scrapped in 2009. |
Bluebird
The Bluebird is one of the most famous World Record
breaking boats of all time. Piloted by Donald Campbell
it broke and then re-broke the water speed record
several times. The story ended with tragedy however
when Campbell was killed attempting to break his
own record on lake Coniston, Northern England. |
World's Largest Propeller
The world's largest ship propeller was built in
2006 by MMG for the Emma Maersk, one of the longest
container ships ever built. The six-bladed propellor
is 6.6 metres (31 feet) across. It weighs 131 tons,
and it took over two weeks to cool after it was
cast! |
Most Valuable Shipwreck Discovered
The Spanish ship Nuestra Senora de Atocha sank in
1622 off the coast of what is now Florida. It was
carrying 40 tons of gold and silver, as well as
32 kgs (70 lbs) of emeralds. It was discovered in
1985. |
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