Sea Shadow
139,000 thank you sir; do I hear 140? Anybody, do I hear 140 for this one of a kind warship? Going once, going twice…..SOLD to the man in the back who looks eerily similar to the villain from James Bond.
That could have been what you heard had the navy warship been auctioned off in public and not electronically. Never the less the principal is the same. To the highest bidder at gsaauctions.gov goes the infamous Sea Shadow/HMB-1.
Built by Lockheed Martin in 1983 during the height of the Cold War, the Sea Shadow was the crown jewel of the United States Navy. Undetectable by radar, this stealth ship was home to the most advanced military technology of its time.
164 feet long with a beam of 68 feet, Sea Shadow’s hull mimics a catamaran with a diesel engine in the two twin hulls. This design would have kept the ship stable in 18-foot seas, which was crucial in maintaining her invisibility. Her interior may be nearly as intimidating as her fortress of an exterior. There is no master suite, VIP suite or any other type of suite, just 12 bunks and a large table. It is evident she was never intended to join the charter industry.
Currently the highest bid for the military machine is $139,100, which is a far cry from the $50 million the government spent to build her nearly 29 years ago.
If you’re thinking of buying Sea Shadow to rule the marina with an iron fist, (Who wouldn’t?) make sure you read the fine print. The government will be stripping the ship and disassembling it down to scrap before handing it over to the eventual winner.
The public has until tomorrow evening to bid on this one of a kind piece, err, pieces of history.
