Widmer has new design new hopes for new boat

Stan Widmer still has plans to build a boat factory in Staples. Despite setbacks preventing an agreement with the U.S. Navy’s  Office of Naval Research (ONR), Widmer has new hopes with a new design and new contacts within the ONR.

Widmer’s original plan was to build rotationally molded polyethylene boats with his patented flex hull to absorb the shock of rough waters. He believes that political posturing is still preventing the ONR from ordering any boats, as he said they wanted to use his design and build their own boats. Widmer said there is still hope because there is a new admiral at the ONR who may be more open to it.

But he also has come up with another design that he thinks could be better. His original boat, Widmer used a double hull, which absorbed the shocks but one issue was extra weight. His new design, which he has patented, is for the hull to contain a band that surrounds the boat and disperses the shock through the entire band. In addition, he placed the helm above the first deck and patented a design for it to float on columns that are cushioned by air. It would be a 36 foot boat with an engine extension that would make it 44 feet total.

While that boat is just in the design phase now, Widmer is looking for a $1.6 million grant to build and test it.

Widmer still has his plans to build a factory at the Staples Industrial Park. He said there are no molding machines in the country right now that are big enough to mass produce such a boat and he is also working on tooling and transportion issues associated with his dream.

Widmer believes the ONR is still the best option, because they did the testing on his original boat and had positive things to say about it. If he can get his venture going, he also has plans to start work on a seven meter rescue boat.