November 6,
2008: Shopping for a unique holiday gift? How about a submarine. There are several Whiskey Class Soviet subs
available. Decommissioned in 1991, and built in the 1950s, these boats have
sound hulls and are insurable. The price is right; $497,000 (delivery extra).
Additional details at http://www.projectboats.com/whiskeysub.html. Discounts
are available if you buy more than one.
The Whiskey
class boats are basically modified versions of the German Type XXI U-boats. The
German subs were 1,600 ton craft, and actually more capable than the 1,100 ton
Whiskeys. But that's because the Russians just wanted a good, basic
diesel-electric submarine for post World War II use. They got it with the
Whiskey, and built 236 of them.
The Whiskeys
offered here are demilitarized (torpedo tubes sealed and torpedo handling gear
removed, along with other military equipment.) That leaves a lot of room for
entertaining. Normally, a crew of 54 runs a Whiskey class boat, but about half
as many would be required for a civilian version. While it is possible to
refurbish a Whiskey as a pleasure craft, you would still end up with a boat
that provided a rough ride on the surface. Running submerged gets old real
quick. Perhaps you could just tie it up at a dock, gut the interior, and turn
it into a party room.
Not much
chance of criminals buying one of these for use as a smuggling craft. The
Whiskeys are notoriously noisy and easy for warships and anti-submarine
aircraft to detect.
