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Ethanol-fueled writes:

Pitching in with a distraction for a slow news weekend, I present to you all the R/P FLIP, the FLoating Instrument Platform.

Imagine sailing across a calm blue sea. A black dot appears on the horizon. As you draw closer, the dot begins to take on the shape of a boat. Well, the front end of a boat sticking out of the water, that is. No, you are not seeing things. Chances are you just had a FLIP encounter.

FLIP is a research vessel with stability in mind - after the ship tilts 90 degrees backward into the sea it is as stable as a fencepost, offering the opportunity for more refined measurements at sea. FLIP has been used in a variety of programs including geophysics, meteorology, physical oceanography, acoustic signals, and laser propagation experiments. FLIP has operated in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

You can watch the tilting action, including some great shots of the outside crew, on this Youtube video.