Video: This is the US Navy’s Tiniest Boat

Last updated on June 7th, 2021 at 10:19 am

At just 19 feet long, the “Boomin Beaver” also known as the “Beaver Boomer,” “Beaver Boat,” or “Barrier Boat” is a security tug built by Chuck’s Boat and Drive in Longview, Washington.

These tiny boats were originally built for loggers to use in pulling floating logs downstream. The US Navy recognized the potential of the petite ships and they are now a multi-purpose vessel used for towing small ships and deploying floating security fences, ensuring that larger submarines, destroyers, and aircraft carriers don’t meet the unwanted visitors.

Security fences are deployed in the water where naval vessels are anchored or docked in order to prevent private and commercial vessels from sailing up to the navy’s ships.

These boats are equipped with steel hulls and aluminium cabins. These tiny adorable boats might look like baby boats but they are equipped with Cummins QSM 11, a 10.7-liter turbocharged inline 6-cylinder diesel engine that can reach around 425 horsepower and 1,800 lb-ft of torque, enough to pull a submarine or a vessel that is hundreds of times of its own weight.

Boomin Beavers can also be seen in Google Maps at the USS Constitution Museum in Boston.