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The country's only privately owned submarine: the length of five meters, range - from St. Petersburg to Helsinki and back. Her maiden voyage nearly ended for designer prison. But instead, he was sent to study in Shipbuilding Institute.

Designer and owner of Russia's only personal submarine Mikhail Puchkov his creation no one is hiding. However, in the St. Petersburg Yacht Club among the big boats and yachts white submarine and its not so obvious. Perhaps because of the size. A tall man in a single compartment single boat fits with difficulty.

The smallest submarine Russia does not differ in comfort. Previously, the only passenger who was also a captain and navigator, even had to pedal like a bicycle. Now the boat has a gasoline engine and batteries. It develops a decent even by the standards of maritime speed - 4 knots.

The Naval Museum of St. Petersburg. Another submarine - the same shape, size, even bicycle pedals inside. Year built 1881 st. Seeds Drzewiecki boat is called "Grandma Russian submarine fleet." The only surviving copy today - one of the main exhibits of the museum. When Michael Tufts started to build his boat on the submarine Drzewiecki he knew nothing. Now jokingly calls his brainchild her "granddaughter».

His personal transport inventor satisfied. The length of the ship only 5 meters, but on the surface the boat can travel a distance of, say, from St. Petersburg to Helsinki and back.

The inventor has not exactly remember why 20 years ago, he decided to build it a submarine. Whether inspired by the novels of Jules Verne, or the famous song "The Beatles'" Yellow Submarine ».

His "secret vessel" (so called prototype of modern submarines under Peter the First) Michael collected in the attic of a country house in the vicinity of Ryazan. Then moved to Leningrad. On the bank of the Neva, he secretly launched the makeshift ship, and immediately fell into a network of local fishermen. Alert citizens detained suspect submariner.

Michael Tufts, inventor and owner of the submarine, "Well, then called the police ... the KGB came and looked for a long time, they said - it is necessary to learn from the shipbuilder. I then went to the Institute ».

It was the 1988 th year, and the latter-day Kulibin lucky. Later investigators said the hapless designer: he get caught four years earlier, would have been not at a desk, but in places not so remote. Now a certified shipbuilder Michael Tufts says the main thing in any dream - that it is not over. And preparing the boat for the new season.

Mikhail Puchkov: "The dream is - paint it yellow and go to England ...».