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On the Water
Like a cat outta hell: The ultra-luxury Aeroyacht 110
23:49 July 1, 2009 PDT
The Aeroyacht 110 has been dubbed “the world’s most innovative super catamaran” by its designers and, while that’s a pretty big claim, it’s certainly an audacious concept. Capable of speeds of over 32 knots but able to cruise effortlessly at 20, boasting a superbly-appointed 32ft wide salon with 360º sea views and with its own fold-up amphibious plane as a tender, the Aeroyacht 110 looks to be the ne plus ultra of luxury sailing. Read More
Fast 'n' mean or slow 'n' green: Code X's solar-hybrid yacht
By Loz Blain
07:26 June 30, 2009 PDT
Code X's solar hybrid yacht is a study in extremes that lets you choose whether you're going to be an environmentally conscious Dr. Jekyll or a petrol-headed Mr. Hyde on the water. If you need to impress your greenie friends, you can cruise along at a fairly sedate 9 knots using a fully solar electric drive. But when it's time to get a boogie on, you can fire a gushing stream of fossil fuel into the twin Ilmor Marine V-10 Formula One engines and unleash 1420 raging ponies upon your unsuspecting marine environment. Read More
Hobie Pro Angler: fully-featured fishing boat for one
By Mike Hanlon
03:23 June 8, 2009 PDT
I spied the Hobie Pro Angler for the first time last week and couldn’t help but feel it was the perfect boat for the mobile fisherman. I own a Hobie Adventure Island and I’m completely sold on Hobie’s MirageDrive as it offers the most efficient, quiet and clean motive power available. Based on a new ultra-stable platform with a capacity of over 600 pounds, a new ultra-comfortable Cool Ride seat, a massive deck with fishing-friendly nooks and replaceable mounting boards on each side to attach your fish finder, GPS, lights, or downriggers and … PERFECT! Read More
The Instaboat Fisherman foldable aluminium canoe
By Mike Hanlon
19:23 May 11, 2009 PDT
The Quebec-manufactured Instaboat has added a second canoe to its easily transportable, collapsible aluminium boat range aimed specifically at fishermen. The new Instaboat Fisherman folds down to a package just 16 cm wide, 3.45 metres long and 38 cm deep weighing 38 kg. Preparing (see video) the US$1500 unsinkable Fisherman for the water takes just two minutes and offers a 245 kg weight capacity. Read More
The Samba defines a new class of 65 mph 200 pound PWC
By Mike Hanlon
00:47 April 27, 2009 PDT
The PWC is evolving rapidly with the new Sea-Doo GTX Limited iS 255 and RXT iS 255 which introduce the industry's first suspension and braking and a new production-ready design which looks capable of defining a whole new class of PWC. The Samba looks like a stingray and is ridden in a motorcycle-like, crouch. Evolved over five years and four prototypes, it is so small and light, an 80 bhp motor can offer the power-to-weight and the same 65 mph top speed of the fastest 250 bhp sit-downs, with extreme agility, control and acrobatic capabilities far beyond those of a stand-up. Above all, the Samba is easy-to-ride, and extreme tricking is relatively easily attainable for even beginners, such is the degree of “body english” control offered to the rider by the design which puts the centre of gravity of the whole package between the rider's wrists and shoulders. Read More
US$70,000 pedal-powered submarine for two
By Darren Quick
21:36 April 16, 2009 PDT
For most of us, the world deep below the ocean’s surface remains a place we have only had the pleasure to experience vicariously, primarily through watching nature documentaries. It's not as if we can just hop in a submarine and go take a look. Well, perhaps we can, if a Russian company's plan to market a two-seater submarine driven by pedal power to the tourist industry is successful. The new underwater vehicle (UV) from Marine Innovation Technologies (MIT) will not only be cheaper to buy and run than existing submersibles, it will be simpler to operate, requiring no special training or expertise. Read More
New HEMPASIL X3 marine paint reduces fuel consumption
By David Greig
18:21 March 31, 2009 PDT
With vast numbers of ships traveling the world’s oceans daily and consuming large quantities of fossil fuels, it is not surprising that fleet owners would be focused on ways to reduce their fuel bills and carbon footprint. We've touched on the problem of higher fuel costs associated with ineffective marine paint in the past and it's these costs that the new HEMPASIL X3 package aims to address. Read More
Life Saver: beach rescue design concept uses solar energy
By Jamilah Le
21:06 March 23, 2009 PDT
Teseo+Arianna is a concept by Italian designer Davide Anzalone that takes surf lifesaving to another level. The design comes in three major components - a tower (Arianna) with a rotating platform, a small vehicle (Teseo) with a jet engine and a quick-inflating safety vest with a CO2 cartridge. It is all designed with form and function in mind, and has the advantage of being environmentally friendly, with solar panels on the tower. It is based on the knowledge that a lifeguard and lifesaver needs to minimize the time it takes to reach a victim and begin giving life support. Read More
UKP20,000 robotic fish to act as water pollution police
By Mike Hanlon
15:52 March 19, 2009 PDT
March 20, 2009 A number of robotic fish are to be trialled into the port of Gijon in Spain to evaluate how effectively and cost-efficiently they can detect water pollution. The 1.5 meter carp-shaped robots are part of a three-year research project funded by the European Commission and if successful, the fish could be used in rivers, lakes and seas across the world. The life-like creatures, which will mimic the undulating movement of real fish, will be equipped with tiny chemical sensors to find the source of potentially hazardous pollutants in the water, such as leaks from vessels in the port or underwater pipelines. Read More
World’s first electric hybrid sports boat
00:41 February 26, 2009 PST
The low-emissions, fuel-saving benefits of hybrid technology aren't limited to the freeway and systems incorporating electric propulsion are popping up in all areas of transport. On the water we've seen hybrid tugboats and solar hybrid motor-yachts, but this is the first time we've seen hybrid technology in a speedboat. Billed as a world's first electric hybrid sport boat, EPIC Wakeboats EPIC 23E relies entirely on a silent, emissions-free electric motor for propulsion and uses half the fuel and produces half the emissions of its combustion-powered equivalent. Read More
Sealegs amphibious vehicle completes 1873 mile circumnavigation
By Mike Hanlon
21:36 February 23, 2009 PST
Tradition is ingrained in the marine world and there's a sense of fragility and mistrust which most boaties harbour for amphibious watercraft – so the successful completion of a 3015 km (1873 mile) circumnavigation of the rugged New Zealand North Island by a Sealegs 7.1 meter amphibious craft today might go some way to allaying those fears. The 7.1 amphibious RIB averaged 46 km/h (28.6 mph) over 65 hours of driving time. Read More
First woman to sail solo, non-stop, both ways around the world
By Mike Hanlon
21:25 February 17, 2009 PST
British yachtswoman Dee Caffari extended the boundaries of what's possible this week when she became the first woman to sail solo, non-stop both ways around the world. The 36-year-old former PE teacher crossed the finish line of the round the world Vendée Globe yacht race in sixth place onboard her yacht Aviva with a heavily damaged mainsail having spent 99 days at sea. Read More
Fight shrinkage with the Rooster Booster: the Wonderbra for men
By Loz Blain
22:53 February 11, 2009 PST
Post-swim shrinkage of the male genitals is a problem that has occupied some of the great minds of our time. "Budgie smuggler"-style Speedos are a primary culprit - they loudly broadcast the wearer's size, shape and religion even when they're dry, but when wet lycra meets a cold, squashed lunchbox after a blood-draining swim, the resulting "frightened turtle" effect can be a true seaside tragedy. But if it's OK for women to pump up their credentials with a Wonderbra, why shouldn't men be able to cheat too? This is the thinking behind a new line of Australian swimwear featuring a hidden pocket in which a variety of different foam padding options can be concealed. Gentlemen, meet the "Rooster Booster." Read More
Foiljet MR1 hydrofoil: the motocross bike for water
By Paul Evans
00:55 February 10, 2009 PST
The Foiljet MR1 is a new personal watercraft concept that takes the best features of a motocross bike and jetski, throws in two hydrofoils plus a silent, energy efficient electric motor to create what would have to be a surefire recipe for outrageous fun. The design looks something like a motocross bike, but instead of wheels there are beams with small hydrofoil wings mounted at the ends that can be raised or lowered. The concept would use a 15 kW (20 hp) electric motor housed at the end of the rear beam with its instant electric torque lifting the craft out of the water to become "foil borne". Read More
Solar powered pleasure boat gets design overhaul
21:08 February 2, 2009 PST
The Loon is a well known North American water bird that appears on the Canadian one-dollar coin (hence the "Loonie") and it's also the name of a solar equipped pontoon boat from Ontario based Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Company that is in the process of receiving a major design overhaul courtesy of the team responsible for the radical teardrop shaped Aptera 2e electric car. The 22-foot long revamped Loon design can cover an estimate 35 miles a day at a maximum of around seven knots using solar energy and features a light-weight twin-hull composite construction with a flexible interior configuration and removable side-rails made from bamboo, natural fibers and recycled plastic. Read More
The KTM Barracuda Hydrofoil
By Mike Hanlon
22:03 January 15, 2009 PST
Austria’s KTM diversified from its competition off-road motorcycle core product with first it's razor-sharp road bike range, and more recently the X-Bow road-registerable racecar. There’s no doubt new markets are on the horizon and a recent design study has unearthed an interesting potential next stop for the company that prides itself on its machinery being “Ready to Race.” The KTM Barracuda Hydrofoil has been conceived as a circuit racing machine for the water. Extremely agile, yet designed to be self-stabilizing, the Barracuda takes the philosophy of the RC8 superbike and X-BOW sportscar to the water. Read More
New World Sailing Boat Speed Record
By Mike Hanlon
00:51 January 5, 2009 PST
January 5, 2009 Australia’s Macquarie Speed Sailing Team is seeking ratification of a new World Sailing Speed Record set on December 19, thereby claiming the title of the world’s fastest sailing boat. Macquarie Innovation was timed over the 500m qualifying course at 48.57 knots and recorded speeds in excess of 51 knots during the 20 second run on December 19, 2008. It is expected that the final ratified speed will be reduced to 48.15 knots due to tidal influences experienced on the course – albeit still the fastest speed ever recorded by a sailing boat. What makes the attempt so significant is the boat’s remarkably efficient use of wind energy – the speeds were recorded in just 17 kt winds, and when the team gets the 20 knot winds it has been waiting for, the outright record of 50.57 kts set by French kite-boarder Alexandre Caizergues in Namibia on October 4, 2008 will almost certainly be bettered. Read More
Solar powered, Linux brained autonomous robot sailboat aims to conquer the Atlantic
By Loz Blain
19:25 December 4, 2008 PST
Few types of transport require as much thinking per mile as sailing - the sailor has to measure the speed and direction of both the water and the wind, which can constantly change, and then manage an array of sails and underwater hydrofoils at the correct angles to create motion in the desired direction. Navigation is its own challenge too, as it's impossible to sail directly into the wind and boats must 'tack' forward in zigzag patterns to make progress. All of which makes it quite remarkable that a group of European enthusiasts have created a Linux-brained autonomous sailboat bristling with sensors and capable of working its way around pre-set race courses or sailing to pretty much any nautical destination without any human intervention. Earlier this year, the ASV 'Roboat' became the first world robotic sailing champion at an event in Austria. Read More
The solar powered submarine
23:10 November 23, 2008 PST
It's an idea we've seen applied to motoryachts, trimarans and even speedboats, but until now, using solar power as an energy source for submarines wasn't on our radar. Swiss energy company BKW has aims to make this scenario a reality with Project Goldfish, a tourist attraction planned for Lake Thun that would see a 20-30 meter long submarine carry groups of visitors on tours of the underwater landscape. Read More
Power and sail: Wally's latest offerings hit the water
01:29 November 17, 2008 PST
Regular Gizmag readers may already be familiar with some of the elegant and ambitious yacht concepts to have emerged from the Wally design house. Both having made their debut at this year's Monaco Yacht Show, the two latest offerings do nothing to suggest that the standard is dropping. The 19 meter, 64' wallypower is the first unit of a new line which sits between the WallyTender and the larger WallyPower yachts while the magnificent Wally 148 Saudade sloop is, at 148-foot (45-meter), the largest Wally built so far. Read More
Hov Pod personal hovercraft
By Darren Quick
20:34 November 6, 2008 PST
UK based Reaction International Ltd. has added to its line of personal leisure hovercraft with the Hov Pod SPX 120 Turbo. Powered by a 120 HP 4 stroke Weber engine which offers greater performance and range, the SPX 120 hovers at a height of 9-inches over any flat surface, including water, ice, snow, sand, mud or grass and can reach speeds approaching 50mph on water. It's also buoyant enough to take over a ton in weight before water ingresses into the hull, making it suitable for commercial, patrol and rescue use. Read More
Ericsson 4 wins leg one of Volvo Ocean Race
16:37 November 3, 2008 PST
Ericsson 4 has taken out leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race and broken the 24 hour monohull record in the process. The boat by covered the 6,500 mile journey from Alicante, Spain to Cape Town, South Africa in 21 days, 17 minutes and 54 seconds, setting a new world record of 602 nm in 24-hours on day 19 (October 29). Read More
Hybrid yacht combines diesel, solar and wind power
By Emily Clark
23:12 November 2, 2008 PST
Island Pilot has used this year’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show to debut its new hybrid motoryacht - the DSe Hybrid12m. Combining diesel, solar and electric power (hence "DSe") and with wind-power to be added to the production model, the 40ft vessel can take advantage of a sunny day by cruising at speeds of up to six knots indefinitely using only solar power. Not only does this save fuel, it eliminates the rumble of diesel engines to bring one of pure-sailing's greatest attractions to the motoryacht format - silence. Read More
40 Signature Series: stunning Lord Norman Foster designed super-yacht
00:00 October 31, 2008 PDT
One of the most elegant water-going creations to cross our desk in recent times is the Foster and Partners designed YachtPlus 40 ‘Signature Series'. Designed by a 7-strong architectural team led by Lord Foster himself and being built at the Rodriquez Cantieri Navali shipyard in northern Italy, the ultra-contemporary 135 foot (41m) luxury superyacht offers 5737 square feet of useable living space with extensive outer deck area including a submergible beach deck, a grand staircase at transom and seperate jet ski storage space. The innovative interior layout has four decks accommodating up to 12 guests and 7 crew while the full beam owner’s cabin on the main deck includes forward-facing windows that lead to private balconies and the glass walled main saloon features 180 degree views. Read More
Roman Abramovich building 550ft, pirate-proof mega-yacht
18:22 October 9, 2008 PDT
The recent incident involving a the seizure of a Ukranian ship carrying 33 tanks off the coast of Somalia has turned the spotlight on the problem of international piracy. Roman Abramovich is paying attention. The Chelsea soccer club owner is spending a £200 million (USD$340 million) chunk of his £11.7billion personal fortune on a mega-yacht that will be well equipped to deal with such a threat: armor plating, bullet-proof windows, a missile-detection system and an escape submarine. Oh yeah, and at a massive 550ft long it will also be the largest private yacht ever built. Read More
Robert Ferry
- July 3, 2009 @ 15:42 UTC
