Oregon Inlet – The U.S. Coast Guard christened their newest addition to the fleet this week, The Explorer 200. This light weight man-powered boat is adept at navigating the rough surf and shallow inlets of the Outer Banks or North Carolina.
“She really gives us the power to get a lot closer to the shore than our other boats that have a deeper draft,” said Lt. Steve Walmach, “We have been struggling to get our ships through the New New Inlet, Explorer 200 handles it like a champ.”
“This ship was thoroughly by my 5 year old, Lisa,” said Commander James McOwen, “She was able to get it out past the breakers before my wife made me go get her. This ship is ready to shine!”
Some critics have voiced concerns about the ships build quality. “Do we really want to trust our service member’s lives to an inflatable toy made in China?” questioned Holly Cumstock, of the Center for responsible inflatables, “We have a whitepaper out showing that using an American manufacturer would only increase the price per boat by a hundred and fifty thousand percent. A small price to pay when we are talking about the lives of our Coasties.”
Rear Admiral Johnathan Sharnetz dismissed such complaints as he repeatedly pummeled the boat with a champagne bottle in a vain attempt to christen it. “Sure looks tough enough to me!”
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