Let's Chat About How Weird This Research Boat Is

April 22, 2020 7:28 AM

I don’t spend much time thinking about boats or marine research these days, as I gave up on the marine biologist dream when I was 9 years old and found out the plesiosaur was extinct. But when I run across a boat as weird as the RP FLIP, as happened to me today, my brain goes into overdrive and it’s all I can think about. I’ve fallen into an information hole, so won’t you join me? (SLJalopnik)
posted by Etrigan (41 comments total)

He may have fallen into an information hole if he didn’t secure the information hatch on the wall when 75% OF THE SHIP FILLED WITH WATER AND SANK, POKING ONE END OUT OF THE WATER.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:35 AM on April 22, 2020 [5 favorites]

I remember reading about this when I was a wee lad and being very impressed glad to know it’s still in service!
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:41 AM on April 22, 2020 [4 favorites]

What's really cool is that once flipped it's the most stable boat on the ocean. No one gets seasick even in the very worst bouncy weather.
posted by sammyo at 8:43 AM on April 22, 2020 [6 favorites]

two sinks but only one toilet

distressing
posted by poffin boffin at 8:54 AM on April 22, 2020 [5 favorites]

I really want an oral history of the conception and design of this boat.

Frank: "I told Joe we wanted to student underwater sound waves, but to do that the ship had to be incredibly stable with respect to the water at at least 20 feet under the surface."

Joe: "Frank said he wanted a stable platform. I was high as a kite when he asked, and it hit me that nothing is stable as water as 20 feet under the surface as a boat 20 feet under the surface."

Frank: "I thought Joe had an interesting idea, but asked him why we couldn't just use a traditional submarine?"

Joe: "I remember I said to Frank 'now, what kind of fun would that be?'"
posted by Frayed Knot at 8:54 AM on April 22, 2020 [11 favorites]

Oh, I love FLIP. I had heard about this before but I also grew up near Scripps in San Diego.
Scripps page on FLIP
posted by vacapinta at 8:56 AM on April 22, 2020 [5 favorites]

OMG, it's the Operation Hennessey research vessel.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 9:08 AM on April 22, 2020 [2 favorites]

two sinks but only one toilet

Why did my mind immediately go to streaming theatre.
posted by rory at 9:57 AM on April 22, 2020

There's a kind of semi-submersed ship design called SWATH (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull). It's very stable and not very affected by surface waves for same reason as FLIP.
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 10:06 AM on April 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

I really want an oral history of the conception and design of this boat.

The RP FLIP history page is worth a read, with explanations of why an existing submarine wasn't suitable, with links to the 50th Anniversary story and video.

Highlights:

Inspired by skinny floating devices known as “spar buoys,” their initial model was crafted out of a Louisville Slugger baseball bat.

Its unique configuration has led to head-turning on more than one occasion. Mistaken mariners have come to its “rescue,” as its vertical position gives the appearance of a vessel going the way of Titanic.

Nah, we're good. Thanks!
posted by zamboni at 10:12 AM on April 22, 2020 [7 favorites]

Its unique configuration has led to head-turning on more than one occasion. Mistaken mariners have come to its “rescue,” as its vertical position gives the appearance of a vessel going the way of Titanic.

This is my new favourite fact about my new favourite ship.

(It's also the first thing I thought when I first opened the article. "Oh, I know what's weird about this ship. It's sinking!")
posted by chrominance at 10:16 AM on April 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

I would be tempted to paint NOT DROWNING, WAVING or IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS on the keel.
posted by zamboni at 10:24 AM on April 22, 2020 [10 favorites]

This is fantastic.
posted by suelac at 10:36 AM on April 22, 2020

I would be tempted to paint NOT DROWNING

I AINTENT DEAD
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:40 AM on April 22, 2020 [4 favorites]

The Poseidon Adventure II: It's Supposed To Do That, I Think, And Don't Call Me Shirley
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:42 AM on April 22, 2020 [6 favorites]

My first thought was "who thought of this and why?" and then Zamboni 's history link helpfully explained.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:51 AM on April 22, 2020

Will nobody think of a dildo?
posted by chavenet at 10:57 AM on April 22, 2020

I love that this exists.
posted by rmd1023 at 11:18 AM on April 22, 2020

"I was high as a kite when he asked..."

One of the best parts of science is that you get to float wacky ideas completely sober, and other people will take you seriously. Even better, someone will get a distant look in their eye and say "You know,..." and then everything gets 10x better.

It's amazing, seeing some crazy idea that started out as a sketch you and a friend did during a long conference call (that could have been an email) turn into reality, and then launch a whole bunch of papers and careers.
posted by bonehead at 11:35 AM on April 22, 2020 [5 favorites]

I also wondered about the toilet, because that seemed way annoying, what do you do if you need to take a shit while it's submerged? I assume it spends some hours or days like that at any given time.
posted by tavella at 11:56 AM on April 22, 2020

two sinks but only one toilet

Technically, it only half sinks.
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:00 PM on April 22, 2020 [8 favorites]

The toilet and the other things are oriented for when it's submerged. Only the sink has a duplicate for use while in normal boat orientation.
posted by LobsterMitten at 12:05 PM on April 22, 2020 [2 favorites]

I also wondered about the toilet, because that seemed way annoying, what do you do if you need to take a shit while it's submerged? I assume it spends some hours or days like that at any given time.

The article says

Based on this walking tour of the FLIP, it looks like the boat is never in transit for very long, as the beds, showers, and toilet are on the wall, while only the sink has two different operational locations.

but the Scripps technical details page says (emphasis added):

Because its design accommodates riders in both horizontal and vertical positions, FLIP’s interior spaces often appear misleading and even bizarre, with doors mounted on the floor, portholes in the ceiling, objects mounted on swiveling trunions, and sinks and toilets mounted for both configurations.

Either things have changed, or there's a toilet that the Jalopnik writer didn't see.
posted by zamboni at 12:08 PM on April 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

The second one has "For Staff Use Only" on the door.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:13 PM on April 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

Ah!

Ship Technology: Flip Ship

Bunk beds, toilets and stoves are built on swivels and gimbals, so they turn with the buoy, but things that would not rotate so well, like sinks, are built both horizontally and vertically in each room.

This toilet, it rotates?
posted by zamboni at 12:25 PM on April 22, 2020 [4 favorites]

so technically if it had a seatbelt one could evacuate during turnover.
posted by poffin boffin at 1:09 PM on April 22, 2020 [3 favorites]

updating the bucket list
posted by poffin boffin at 1:10 PM on April 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

Boaty McBoatface's younger brother...
Bobby.

There are also Heavy Lift Ships, which can sink their decks flat, below the waterline, to move heavy equipment or other ships. The sister...
Carrie.
posted by bartleby at 1:19 PM on April 22, 2020 [5 favorites]

Ok so this blew my mind.

I'd say something more clever or astute or entertaining here but sorry, mind still blown.
posted by Mchelly at 1:59 PM on April 22, 2020 [2 favorites]

> Bunk beds, toilets and stoves are built on swivels and gimbals, so they turn with the buoy, but things that would not rotate so well, like sinks, are built both horizontally and vertically in each room.

Toilets rotate well but sinks do not?
posted by ardgedee at 2:14 PM on April 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

Yeah that's why it's called a bulk-head.
posted by 7segment at 2:16 PM on April 22, 2020

heads do not do well with bulk, in my experience
(which is very scant and involves a lot of terror of the flushing mechanism)
posted by Countess Elena at 3:09 PM on April 22, 2020

How would the waste pipes work? A pipe that points down when flipped would point towards the bow when not flipped.
posted by monotreme at 3:15 PM on April 22, 2020

I’m imagining a bucket on a gimbal/swivel/trunion.
posted by clew at 5:50 PM on April 22, 2020

So on a ship would that be a running gwunion?
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:54 PM on April 22, 2020

I’m apparently much older than the writer of this article and went through my marine research phase much earlier...like when Jacques Cousteau ruled the waves in the ‘60s. I knew of FLIP back then, when it was fairly new, but never saw pictures of the interior until recently. It is the coolest of research vessels!
posted by lhauser at 7:02 PM on April 22, 2020 [2 favorites]

Gravity drainage is not generally how waste pipes on ANY ships work. In a bit of swell, 1/4"/ft grade is not gonna do you any good.
posted by cnidaria at 8:48 PM on April 22, 2020 [5 favorites]

So we put it down below
Where it was the first to go
posted by clew at 10:03 PM on April 22, 2020

It's good to know that all people are curious about the toilets. My favorite memory from Ramona the Pest is when her kindergarten teach is reading Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel - Ramona raises her hand to ask "How does he go to the bathroom??" Humanity will endure.
posted by CathyG at 7:28 AM on April 23, 2020 [1 favorite]

When I was young, this thing freaked me out more than the Screen Gems "S" logo.
posted by whuppy at 7:47 AM on April 23, 2020

It has been days, and I just now realized this thing does not stand on end on the seafloor
posted by Countess Elena at 8:30 PM on April 25, 2020