Cigarette boats
Originally designed for his offshore
racing, the fast, powerful cigarette boats became notorious as the drug
smuggling boat of choice in many parts of the world in the 1980s, 1990s
and first years of the 21st century. The cigarette boat (aka) go-fast
boat is a high performance boat of a characteristic design.
Don Aronow became involved
in power boat endurance racing in the early 1960s. He founded Formula
Marine, Donzi Marine, Magnum Marine, Cigarette boat Racing Team, Squadron
XII and USA Racing. Aronow formed the Cigarette Racing Team in 1969
following his World Championship win in a 32' Cary race boat called
"The Cigarette".
A typical cigarette boat
is built of fiberglass, with a deep "V" offshore racing hull from usually
30 to 50 feet long, narrow in beam, and equipped with two or more powerful
engines, often with more than 1000 combined horsepower.
The cigarette boat can typically travel at speeds over 80 knots in calm
waters, over 50 knots in choppy waters, and maintain 25 knots in the
average five to seven foot Caribbean seas. They are heavy enough to
cut through higher waves, although at a slower pace.
In accordance with their
pure racing heritage, the accommodations on cigarette boats are minimal,
and they are built to hold 5 or fewer passengers. While most cigarette
boats do have some cabin under the foredeck, it is low and much smaller
than a typical motor yacht of similar size.
Apart from the racing market,
most buyers of these boats purchase them for the mystique; the combination
of the racing and smuggling connections, plus the immense power, high
top speeds, and sleek, phallic shape make the cigarette boat popular
as ostentatious displays of wealth.
Cigarette boats are difficult
to detect by radar except on flat calm seas or at close range. The United
States Coast Guard and the DEA found them to be stealthy, fast, seaworthy,
and very difficult to intercept using conventional craft. Because of
this, Coast Guards have developed their own high-speed craft and also
use helicopters.
The helicopters are equipped
with anti-materiel rifles which can be used to disable the motors of
the Cigarette boats.
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