Marine
On March 26 at 7:52am local time, film maker/explorer James Cameron entered the history books and became the first person to visit the ocean's deepest point alone. Just two weeks ago, we reported on his previous solo-dive record of 26,791 feet (8,166m), which he handily smashed by plunging 35,756 feet (10,898m) into the Mariana Trench's Challenger Deep southwest of Guam. If the handful of contenders still vying for the record want to beat Cameron, they'll now have to excavate, because that's as deep as it gets. Read More
One of the stars of the Palm Beach International Boat Show which began today is the Italian Wider 42 footer, with Wider being both an appropriate adjective and the master brand name. The Wider works ingeniously in that you can activate mobile extensions either side of the hull, double the deck area and give the boat complete stability, all at the press of a button. Read More
We’ve probably all seen scuba divers on television, hitching rides on the backs of manta rays or sea turtles. For those of us who love the ocean, it looks like a near-magical experience, but ... you shouldn’t do it. Marine biologists will tell you that it’s simply a form of harassment, which the animals themselves don’t particularly enjoy. So, how can you replicate that “flying underwater” experience? Well, Norwegian inventor Simon Sivertsen would suggest you buy his boat-towed Subwing. Read More
On November 17th of last year, a group of four wave-powered autonomous aquatic robots set out from San Francisco, embarking on a planned 37,000-mile (60,000-km) trip across the Pacific ocean. Recently, the fleet of Wave Gliders completed the first leg of their journey, arriving at Hawaii’s Big Island after traveling over 3,200 nautical miles (5,926 km). By doing so, they have set a new distance record for unmanned wave-powered vehicles – that record previously sat at 2,500 nautical miles (4,630 km). Read More
The Allochroous is the Dream Boat category winner of the 9th Millennium Yacht Design Award (MYDA), an international competition for yacht designers around the world. Conceptualized by beginner entrants Ezgi Aksan and Ambra Ceronetti, Allochroous is a futuristic representation of what their dream yacht would be. Drawing upon innovative technologies, the key feature behind the concept is that the yacht is able to transform its functionality. The vision was to create a sustainable yacht that is ideal for enjoying a summer concert at sea. Read More
Well-known film director and deep-sea explorer James Cameron is no stranger to setting records, but this time, instead of box office gross, he's setting his sights on something more akin to a single-handed lunar landing - a solo trip to the ocean's deepest point, the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench off Guam. Billionaire entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson is hard on Cameron's heels but it appears almost certain the genius behind the blockbusters Titanic and Avatar will be the first to get there alone - he just snagged the record for deepest solo dive off Papua New Guinea on March 6th with a depth of 26,791′ (8.2km). Read More
A European project is developing new Air Support Vessel (ASV) hull designs that allow watercraft to ride on a cushion of air to greatly reduce friction between the hull and the water, resulting in more hull speed for less power than conventional designs. The project is part of a EUR10,000,000 (approx. US$13,225,000) project funded in part by the European Union, the Norwegian Research Council and Innovation Norway, and Norwegian company Effect Ships International AS has recently completed tank-testing in Sweden of two ASV hull models. Read More
Gosh, millionaires had it tough back in 2009. At that time, if they wanted to spend US$50,000 on a zippy, semi-submersible, sea creature-inspired watercraft, they were stuck with the basic dolphin-like model of Innespace’s Seabreacher. Now known as the Seabreacher J, it was joined in 2010 by the faster, wider and nastier-looking shark-inspired Seabreacher X. Now, word has reached us of yet another Seabreacher creature – the orca-like Y model. Read More
Feadship Royal Dutch shipyards will offer a glimpse into the rarefied world of superyachts at the Dubai International Boat Show later this month (March 13-17). The luxury watercraft manufacturer's 56 meter (183.75 ft) Future Concept vessel Qi (say "chee") will be showcased (scale model only) along with a few of Feadship's real-world 70 meter-plus (229 ft+) multimillion dollar models, the 81 meter (266 ft) Air, and the 77.7 meter (252 ft) Tango. Built for a realm where just turning the engines on at the dock for ten minutes will set the owner back hundreds of dollars, these are designs that are sure to impress. Read More
The soothing sound of canal water gently lapping against wood as you fall into peaceful slumber has got to be one of the best ways to end a relaxing day of leisurely cruising past sights that many Londoners rarely glimpse. Doing so on a vessel that gets the power for its motor, lighting and modern appliances from the Sun, features multi-layer insulation, underfloor heating and a charming wood-burning stove, and is surprisingly bright and roomy inside, seems too good to be true. Meet the Bauhaus Barge, a Dutch-style wide beam houseboat which is all of that and more. Read More
