This was an easy Weirdness Wednesday day as I recently saw this article on Boomin’ Beaver – https://taskandpurpose.com/mandatory-fun/navy-boomin-beaver-mini-tugboat. I also found this article – https://www.warhistoryonline.com/news/us-navy.html. The second link has a video and both links have photos of the boat. I didn’t realize the US Navy had anything this small and decided for the cuteness factor alone, it made a good Weirdness Wednesdays choice.
Sep 20, 2020 Craig Bowman
The US Navy’s Smallest Boat
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The ship does truly exist and may truly be the smallest ship in the entire US Navy. It is called the “Boomin Beaver” and is also known as the “Beaver Boomer,” “Beaver Boat,” or “Barrier Boat.” It is being used as a security tug and was built by Chuck’s Boat and Drive in Longview, Washington.
The tiny boats were originally built for loggers to use in pulling floating logs downstream. The US Navy recognized the potential of the diminutive vessels and bought them for their own purposes in naval harbors.
According to some sites, the navy has purchased as many as 40 of the little boats.
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https://www.warhistoryonline.com/news/us-navy.html
Other Weirdness Wednesdays posts: https://upsdownsfamilyhistory.wordpress.com/tag/Weirdness-Wednesdays/
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