Sea Fighter weathers Michael

The experimental Navy catamaran Sea Fighter (FSF-1) successfully weathered Hurricane Michael and is currently off the coast of Panama City, Fla., waiting for clearance to pull back into port, according to the Office of Naval Research. The 950-ton Sea vessel is at double anchor in the bay “engines running and nose to the wind” with a minimal crew aboard, ONR spokesman Robert Freeman told USNI News on Oct. 10. The ship recently completed a maintenance period, but repairs to its propulsion and steering systems hadn’t been tested before Hurricane Michael showed up on its radar. The ship’s civilian master decided to weather the storm in the bay. Sea Fighter has been in service since 2005 as a test platform for both Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City and ONR. The Panama City base was the only U.S. Navy facility evacuated in preparation for Hurricane Michael’s landfall, according to Navy Region Southeast. (Source: USNI News 10/11/18) FSF-1 is an experimental Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) that was under development from 2005-08). It has a small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH) design that provides exceptional stability - even in rough seas.