The BRAS D’OR: a very special ship

A hydrofoil is an unconventional vessel, with wing-like foils fastened to its hull. But what was the purpose of the Bras d’Or’s foils? When the ship sailed at high speed, the foils lifted its hull out of the water. It looked as if the ship flew above water.

In Canada, more specifically, in Nova Scotia, a famous inventor explored the possibility of building a ship like this: Alexander Graham Bell. Yes! The same person who invented the telephone! He and his friend Frederick Walker “Casey” Baldwin tested the idea between 1911 and 1920. The two associates called the many hydrofoils they designed “hydrodromes”, or HD, for those in the know!

On September 9, 1919, the HD-4 prototype was sailed at a top speed of 61.5 knots. This speed, exceptional for a ship, is the speed of vehicles driven on a highway nowadays.