Small-waterplane-area Twin Hull - History

History

The SWATH form was invented by Canadian Frederick G. Creed, who presented his idea in 1938, and was later awarded a British patent for it in 1946. The first full-scale SWATH vessel to be built and put into productive service was MV Duplus, a diving support vessel built in the Netherlands in 1968. In the 1970s, several units were built in different countries (including SSC Kaimalimo by the US Navy, and an 80-ft ferry in Japan). Since the 1980s, oceanographic research vessels, pilot tenders, yachts and other craft are more routinely being built with the SWATH hull type.