Catamaran air cushion ship with folding, retractable seals

A catamaran surface effect ship, comprising:

• a) a catamaran hull having spaced apart hulls connected with a platform, and an integral propulsion system for propelling the hull;
• b) forward and aft seals on the catamaran hull that enable pressurized air to be trapped in an air space that is positioned generally in between the spaced apart hulls and in between the seals;
• c) the catamaran hull containing a powered lift fan system for transmitting pressurized air to the air space;
• d) a door pivotally attached to the outer surface of each spaced apart hull, each door having a top and a bottom end portion;
• and
• e) an inflatable portion that rotates the bottom of the door away from the outer side of the spaced apart hull.

A catamaran surface effect ship, comprising:

• a) a catamaran hull having spaced apart spaced apart hulls connected by and extending downwardly from a platform, a tunnel being formed in between the spaced apart hulls, below the platform and above the water surface, each spaced apart hull having an inner surface and an outer surface;
• b) forward and aft seals that each extend laterally from one of the floats to the other float, the forward and aft seals and floats enabling a pressurized air cushion to be trapped in an air space that includes the tunnel, said air space surrounded by the floats and the seals;
• c) the catamaran hull containing a powered lift fan system for transmitting pressurized air to the air space;
• and
• d) a side seal system for each float including a movable door that is movably attached to the outer surface of each float and an inflatable seal that extends below the door and in between the door and the float.