On the Water

Like its Super Nova and Ocean Empire LSV stablemates, the 78 meter (256 ft) Ark Angel LSV (Life Support Vessel) from Sauter Carbon Offset Design harnesses energy from a variety of renewable sources to achieve up to 100 percent reduction in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. When using its four 400 kW Daimler Bluetec Turbo Compound DD16 diesel engines, Sauter says that the green megayacht is capable of sailing at 28 knots while still reducing fuel consumption and emissions by 50 percent. Read More

The Transatlantic Seafloor Research Challenge is not a real competition, but that hasn't stopped British designer Philip Pauley from envisioning it, and the watercraft that would take part in it. If it were to exist, the challenge would require underwater vehicles to cross from the UK to the US using whatever route their team members thought was the quickest, but they would have to stay in physical contact with the sea floor for as much of the distance as possible. Pauley's Pathfinder submarines would be equipped with wheels or tracks for trundling along the bottom on most of the crossing, but would also theoretically be able to propel themselves up through the water when necessary. Read More

For many people who own lakefront property, noisy combustion-engined motorboats that leave clouds of exhaust and oil slicks in their wakes have pretty much become a given. Hopefully, however, quiet and clean-running electric watercraft may soon take over a significant portion of the pleasure-boating market. While consumers can already pre-order the planned 8-passenger solar-electric Loon pontoon boat, another option is the smaller Infinyte i4 catamaran, which began production in 2010. Its maker, Canada’s Infinyte Marine, also has plans for a larger boat. Read More

Most of the vehicles designed for intimate trips beneath the ocean waves, such as Uboatworx’s line of personal submarines, are pretty complicated affairs, meaning you’ll have to put in some study time to get a grip on the controls or rely on the services of a trained captain to get you around – which can kind of defeat the whole intimate aspect of the trip. In an effort to give anyone the opportunity to swim with the fishes without getting their feet wet, Korean-based company Raonhaje has developed an electric-powered craft that is a little bit submarine and a little bit regular boat. Read More

Ducati is making a serious effort to move its motorcycle brand upwards and leverage the visibility its MotoGP and World Superbike success has given it. The recently announced marketing alliances with automotive brand AMG and apparel company Diesel have now been extended to the luxury go-fast Cigarette boat company. Some of the world’s wealthiest and most influential people have owned cigarette boats including George Bush Snr, King Hussein of Jordan and King Juan Carlos of Spain. This week a Cigarette Racing 42X Ducati Edition was launched at the Miami Boat Show with staggered 1,100hp Mercury Racing engines, a special sound system, a top speed in excess of 120 mph (on water no less), and a price tag of US$700,000. Read More

Korea’s Daewoo is to build the world’s largest ship for Mærsk line. The US$190 million, 400 meter ‘Triple-E’ class behemoths will carry 18,000 TEU containers, 2500 more than the current largest, Emma Mærsk. Superior economies of scale will enable the new monsters to surpass the industry record for both fuel efficiency and (20% better) CO2 emissions per container moved. In a move set to impact global shipping transport costs and efficiencies, ten Triple-E ships will go into service between 2013 and 2015 with a further 20 ships optioned. If the same number of containers were loaded on a train, it would be 110 km long. If they were stacked on top of one another, they’d reach beyond the stratosphere (47 km). Read More

If you want a superyacht that really stands out at the next annual billionaires meeting then why not give it a theme? Yacht Island Design thinks there’s a market for such vessels and has set about developing several themed yacht concepts. The first is "The Streets of Monaco," a 155 m (508.5 ft) long yacht that looks to “reflect the style and sophistication of the principality” and includes a fully functional go kart circuit that recreates the famous Monaco Grand Prix circuit along with other Monaco landmarks. Read More

Five years ago we first reported on Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Company's Loon, a proposed production solar-electric boat. At that time, creator Monte Gisborne told us that “exhausting hydrocarbons directly into your own lake isn’t much different from urinating in your family room.” In 2009 the 8-passenger watercraft received a design overhaul, and production was scheduled to begin later that year. Now, with a just-announced deal in place to manufacture the boat at facilities in the city of Rome, New York, full-scale Loon production should finally be commencing within the next few months. Read More

Surfango is dead … long live Jetbuster! Our favorite powered kayak is back with a new name, a new look and an air-suspended seat unit which will come as sweet relief to anyone who's ever suffered the battered buttocks you tend to get from jumping waves in one of the older models. The new Jetrider XL has been unveiled in Dusseldorf, with a joystick-controlled 9.5hp motor, 25mph (40kmh) top speed and the new Airshox seat unit, for a retail price of US$2,999. Read More