Metal Shark announces all-terrain drive

Franklin-based boatbuilder Metal Shark has partnered with Angelle Development LLC of Breaux Bridge to introduce an entirely new vessel propulsion system featuring patented technology and several industry firsts.

The “Swamp Shark Drive” is an all-terrain propulsion system specially engineered and built for operation in extreme shallow water, riverine, and mud flat environments. The highly durable system will safely and reliably propel a vessel through dense vegetation, mud, and debris-strewn waters.

“I studied the vulnerabilities of every other shallow water drive on the market and worked to overcome all of the challenges of operating high performance engines in these environments." said inventor Clint Angelle, CEO and owner of Angelle Development, LLC and creator of the Swamp Shark.

Originally designed to allow fishermen and hunters to access the extreme shallow backwaters of Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin, Metal Shark executives saw potential advantages for military and commercial operators.

The system has been tested and proven on Metal Shark test vessels throughout the research and design process.

“Swamp Shark has been on our radar since the beginning,” explained Jimmy Gravois, Metal Shark’s founder and chairman. “When I learned what Clint was doing I immediately saw an opportunity to provide this new technology to our military customers, many of whom struggle with the challenges of shallow water operation."

Swamp Shark features a fully self-contained, patent-pending, onboard keel cooling system, with no appendages beneath the hull and no need for overboard raw water. This allows for smooth operation over underwater obstacles and allows a Swamp Shark-propelled vessel to traverse shallow, vegetation-clogged water or even loose mud with no cooling issues.