Expert: Paul Soderman - 4/2/2009

Question
Today  I saw something that looked like a nose cone from a rocket perhaps. It was wrapped in pale pink paper(I'm not joking) overlaid with silver strips. On the flat side it had reflector strips. It was omn a wide load flat bed, black truck. I pulled along side to get the approximate dimensions. My car is 19 feet long,(989 Cadillac) so I judged from that. I am curious to know what it was. I couldn't see any name for the trucking company. It wasn't a grain bin as my daughter insists I saw. We are rural and I wish I had a dollar for every grain bin I've seen. what I saw made me curious. Maybe you have an idea what it was.
thankyou for listening. I made a sketch of it but I can't upload it for some reason.I can email it, but that's all. The nose cone thing was over 20ft long had a slightly dropped nose, rather like the Concord. Had a flat rear end approx. 5-8ft in diameter. and near the front was a small narrow fin about 3ft long. These were on either side. I overtook the semi twice to get a good look, he was really booking it down the highway. This was the number one hwy in canada.Thanks again for your time.
Ruth

Answer
Boy, you've got me Ruth.  It doesn't sound like a rocket nose cone because those are always symmetrical.  Otherwise, it would fly on a curve.  Do you think it might be a for a big boat - maybe a pontoon.  That would explain the narrow fin.  But without seeing it I can't be sure.  We should all be as curious as you.
Paul