On the opposite side of False Creek to my apartment, the base of Vancouver Coast Guard is located. A brand new hovercraft is equipped there and sometimes It comes to the base. As it makes a big noise, I can recognize whenever it comes in. Because of its special feature such as the 45 knot max speed and the 0 inch draft, it is used for SAR, search and rescue. Of course it is slower than airplanes or helicopters, but its speed is fast enough to sail around Straight of Georgia, plus it can stop anywhere on the sea and carry a lot of people and things. The demerit of hovercrafts I guess is the fuel cost. I'm not sure how much the fuel consumption is, but I think it requires as much fuel as or more than helicopters because it has to hover in the air.
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