Creating that unsinkable feeling is the basic philosophy of boat-building at Aluminum Chambered Boats (ACB) Inc., Bellingham, WA., where they simply say, “THERE’S INCREDIBLE BEAUTY IN PURE SAFETY.”
“She may not be the prettiest girl at the dance, but boy can she dance.” says Larry Wieber, Founder/CEO of ACB. Larry is perhaps underestimating the beauty of the boats he designs and builds, but he is ‘in the know’ about how to make recreational boaters benefit from ACB safety innovations.
Bear in mind ACB is something of an American institution and today the company incorporates the same advanced hull technology in their line of recreational and fishing boats as they use in their military vessels.
They build boats in the Pacific North West that meet stringent construction and safety requirements, “ACBs are the first and only aluminum boats tank tested by the US Coast Guard and approved without using foam flotation,” said Larry. “The unique chambered flotation system cannot be compromised,” even if the hull and several chambers are punctured!
“Hit a rock or log and tear the hull and you will stay afloat and stay alive,” he said. These are high performance watercraft riding on a patented aluminum chambered hull, “a design with a modified V hull and contiguous airtight aluminum chambers.”
The system provides critical survivability flotation, Larry said, plus, “incredible stability and reduced fuel burn with unmatched maneuverability.” Add to that a soft air-cushioned ride in the most difficult conditions.
Remember that the US Navy runs a lot ACBs and so does the US Coast Guard. USCG puts crews on US coasts in a 24-foot center console CB-L vessel that handles multiple missions. It is deployed from a cutter in such operations as search and rescue (SAR), maritime law enforcement (MLE), ports and waterways, and coastal security.
The design of the CB-L will carry a three-man crew and up to nine passengers and the vessel is equipped with shock-mitigated seating for the crew. The vessel is designed for security services and powered with a Cummins QSD 2.8 230 HP Bravo 1 with Mercury outdrive. “The CB-L’s top speed is,” an incredible, “39.5 knots.”
US government and citizens alike operate ACBs in all weather conditions including winter in Alaska. So where did this ability to provide marine safety and security of passengers come from? Larry explained, “ACB has built a team of numerous seasoned military and marine industry professionals with collective skill sets that provide the basis of the ACB construction and logistics team.”
ACB built their reputation for delivering quality on time and on budget by serving customers in all branches of the US military and expanding their market from that. Over the past few years the company has taken the patented rugged, state-of-the-art high performance aluminum boats to government, recreational, and commercial customers on a global basis. VISIT www.acbboats.com
