On the Water
Sealegs amphibious boat now boasts all-terrain capabilities
Sealegs International today announced that it has developed a new all-terrain version of its amphibious marine craft. The new 5.6m Sealegs All Terrain Amphibious Craft (ATAC) can carry a payload of 500kg (6 adults) on land and sea will sell for US$65,000. The Sealegs ATAC has a top speed of 10kmh on land but is far more capable as a water-going amphibian. Once driven into the water, the Sealegs ATAC hydraulically retracts its wheels to allow speeds of up to 60kmh. Later this year Sealegs will make an attempt on the world record for the fastest crossing of the English Channel by an amphibious vehicle. Gizmag has covered a wide range of amphibious vehicles in recent times, including the original launch of Sealegs, the Gibbs Aquada Sportcar, the Gibbs Humdinga 4WD amphibian, the Platypus 4WD amphibian, the Rinspeed Splash, the Phibicat and the Amphicar. (read more...)
The PowerSki JetBoard - EXTREME watersports
March 28, 2005 One of the most radical water toys ever invented, the PowerSkiJetBoard is an engineering masterpiece - the inventors have taken the form factor of a surfboard and built in an ingenuously small and flat 45 horsepower motor capable of propelling it to 40 mph. With the rear thrust, rail and the three fins beneath, the JetBoard carves better than anything else on water, tarmac or snow, generating G-forces up to 6G and enabling the rider to get almost horizontal (check the pics inside). The JetBoard never cavitates or slides out, enabling a standing rider to perform continuous, stable, high speed turns with slight shifts in weight. (read more...)
Rolex Transatlantic Challenge 2005 ready to begin - can the transatlantic record stand for a century?
May 21, 2005 The Rolex Transatlantic Challenge 2005 promises to be one of the greatest sailing races of all time when it gets underway tomorrow after a delayed start due to forecast dangerous weather. When the starts gun fires tomorrow, 20 entrants ranging in size from 70 to 252 feet (21.3m to 77m) will set out on a course from New York for England, recreating the Great Ocean Race of 1905. In that race, the schooner Atlantic, skippered by three-time America's Cup defender Charlie Barr, set a record that has not been broken by a monohull since. Monohull yachts have crossed the Atlantic Ocean faster, but they picked their weather. Atlantic's crossing, in 12 days, four hours, one minute and 19 seconds, survives as the oldest race record in sailing - and despite all the remarkable advances in sailing since then, it might stand for a full century! (read more...)
The Amphicar - the only non-military amphibious vehicle ever to go into mass production.
A spate of new amphibious vehicles in recent times and the seeming resurgence of interest in the area has seen us receive a wave of correspondence informing us of many amphibious projects around the world. One of the most fascinating amphibious vehicles to come to light has been the German-produced Amphicar - the only non-military amphibious vehicle ever to go into mass production. Like the Gibbs Aquada, the Amphicar was a convertible and a serious watergoing vessel and a number of lengthy sea voyages were recorded, most notably Africa to Spain and three crossings of the English Channel, once in a Force 6 gale. Note, the Aquada now holds the record for an English Channel crossing by an amphibious vehicle. (read more...)
A whole new boating category begins – electric boats
March 8, 2005 American company Johnson Outdoors has launched a significant new line of electric boats that creates a new category of watercraft – whisper quiet, pollution free and very easy-to-use. Designed to be used by boaters and non-boaters alike, the new Escape brand Electric Touring Boat, Electric Chaise Lounger and Electric Fun Boat all feature a simple “flip-the-switch-and-go” electric propulsion system, intuitive steering and lots of comfort features. (read more...)
Platypus amphibious 4x4 to land at under US$40,000
Like the Australian marsupial from which it takes its name, it isn't pretty, but it sure is functional. With a top speed of 100 kmh on the road, it's not as fast as its celebrated fellow amphibians such as the Gibbs Aquada or Rinspeed Splash. But it is capable of seven knots on the water, can withstand heavy seas, and it's hardcore four-wheel-drive capabilities will get you just about anywhere you can imagine going. Most remarkable though is the price - when production starts in mid-2005, the Platypus will sell for less than US$40,000. (read more...)
The Human-powered Submarine
Swedish designer Milko Ozlu has always been intrigued by the concept of the powered exoskeleton and body amplifiers. When the US Military experimented with the springwalker concept in the late 1980s, Ozlu was fascinated, though it was long before he studied for his BA in industrial design at Konstfack in Stockholm. His ideas followed through and when he was studying for his masters degree at the vehicle design department of the world-renowned Royal College of Art in London, it resulted in one of the most interesting degree projects we’ve seen – the U-Scull, a new type of human powered sports-submarine that operates in shallow depths. (read more...)
The CHARC: Covert High-speed Attack and Reconnaissance Craft
March 6, 2005 The CHARC is designed to provide a lethal response for some of the emerging littoral threats facing large Navy vessels including suicide speedboats packed with explosives, small high-speed boat "swarm attacks" and diesel-electric submarines. With similar offensive capabilities to that of an AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter crammed onto a high-speed surface platform, the CHARC is small, fast and stealthy and can attack on a moment's notice using an array of Hellfire missiles, 20-millimeter guns, 40-millimeter grenade launchers and torpedoes. Like the AH-1W Super Cobra, a crew of two control the craft from a forward cockpit. (read more...)
Cornelis Drebbel built three submarine in the 1620s - they all worked
The world's first practical submarine was built in 1620 by Dutch engineer Cornelis Jacobszoon Drebbel, under the patronage of James 1 of England. Drebbel built three submarines according to the sketchy information available from that time, each larger than the last and the third being capable of carrying 16 people, of which 12 were the oarsmen. The oarsmen rowed one oar each, with the oars protruding from the side of the boat through waterproofed leather seals. Air was supplied by snorkel-like tubes that were held above the water's surface by floatation devices, enabling the submarine to be underwater for long periods. Accounts suggest the boat could travel from Westminster to Greewich and back under water, completing the return journey in three hours at a depth around 15 feet below the surface. (read more...)
Hammer Super Yacht - floating beach party
It's the ultimate party machine. Designed as a floating beach party, the Hammer is a 90 metre superyacht designed to hold stylish social events for several thousand people. It also has large reconfigurable decks, creating oodles of party space with lots of terraces over the sea, and an underwater salon with windows that start above the waterline and extend way beneath it. There are also underwater cameras that can broadcast to the many large LCD monitors throughout the vessel. A floating beach party also has lots of toys for people to play with - like the multiple submarines that dock inside the vessel from underneath, and the helicopter can also be lowered into its garage for more party space on the landing pad. And the the swimming pools can be decked to increase the floor space too. The price? .... (read more...)
Fortuna III wins gale-force battle in Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro Race
February 14, 2005 The brand new 60-foot carbon race yacht Fortuna III has won line honours in the Rolex Buenos Aires - Rio de Janeiro Race, taking the winner's gun in Rio at the crack of dawn on Sunday morning. Skipper Cesar Recalde and his team shook off extreme fatigue after a gruelling week's racing to celebrate their arrival in Rio with the popping of champagne corks and the firing of red flares, just as the sun was rising over Sugar Loaf Mountain. The almost windless conditions at the finish could not have been more different from the past seven days, which have seen Fortuna III and the rest of the fleet pounding into high winds and big seas. This was Recalde's fifth time competing in the event, and he described it as the toughest 1,200 miles of his career. (read more...)
Innovative new sail kite system could halve maritime diesel usage
February 14, 2005 A Hamburg-based company has developed a sailing propulsion system that can be retrofitted to almost all large ships, enabling us to reharness the enormous energy potential of the wind! With minimal operating costs, the wind-power ed system could make shipping more profitable, safer and more independent of declining oil reserves. It's ironic that the motive force that enabled the Spanish, English, Dutch, Portugeuse and Chinese to explore the world 500 years ago might have a second golden age thanks to a German company but the technology is sound and the prize for success will be immense. World trade is conducted principally by ships. Ships carry 98.2% of intercontinental goods, and 98% of all cargo vessels are powered by diesel engines. In 2002, ships used 25 billion Euros worth of fuel. The Skysails system is expected to more than halve fuel costs. (read more...)
Concept Boat of the year winners
February 12, 2005 The winner of the 2004 Concept Boat of the Year competition is 'Dynaplane', a futuristic powerboat, an extremely energy-efficient design that offers significant potential to reduce emissions, yet maintains the ability to achieve high speeds. The design offers reduced fuel consumption and the possibility of using alternative fuel sources such as a fuel cell. (read more...)
The World's biggest megayacht still on the drawing boards - for now
February 7, 2005 In recent weeks we've written about several of the world's largest megayachts: the 118 metre Phillipe Starck-designed Sigma, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's Octopus and the 138 metre Rising Sun owned by Oracle Software founder Larry Ellison. Now there's a new megayacht on the drawing boards that will be bigger than all of them if it gets built - a 147 metre palace on water which sets new standards for design and functionality including its own cinema, disco, swimming pool, helicopter, integrated tender vessel and, would you believe, an integrated submarine. (read more...)
Innovative HydroBubble anchor updates one of man's earliest inventions
February 2, 2005 Man has been sailing for thousands of years and the anchor has been around just as long - like the wheel, history failed to record its inventor. The concept of the anchor is simple and has changed little in recent times, which makes a significant design development an important event. The unique patented HydroBubble anchor uses a buoyancy device to position it so it "sets first time" and has been highly acclaimed by the US boating industry in the short time it has been on the market. Not surprisingly, the inventor of the HydroBubble is a keen boatie. "I saw a need for an anchor that worked, first time, every time," says inventor John Willis. (read more...)
The 118 metre SIGMA Megayacht - by Phillipe Starck
January 29, 2005 It's an immense frustration that some of the most significant and advanced engineering feats on the planet are shrouded in secrecy and we can't all wonder at the design solutions employed. Such is the case with many mega-yachts - the US$200+ million toys of the mega-rich - and the spectacular Sigma mega-yacht designed by Phillipe Starck is a case in point. To be constructed by the elite Blohm + Voss ship-building facilities, the only details of the yacht available are the 118 metre length and the accompanying computer-generated illustration. (read more...)
Hov Pod launches a hassle free hovercraft
December 9, 2004 Convenience is the name of the game with the Hov Pod, the latest hovercraft design for marine leisure and commercial usage. Large enough to carry three adults, the Hov Pod offers a full hovercraft experience, riding on cushioned air over land and water without any of the hassles of more complicated craft. With a top speed of 60 km/h on the water, a maximum weight of 250 kg and a retail price of UK 16.500 pounds, the Hov Pod is designed for the hobbyist who likes to go anywhere in style. (read more...)
Wallypower SuperYacht wins Millennium Design Award
December 3, 2004 The118 WallyPower is an incongruous name for a high performance superyacht that integrates technology with aesthetics for a sleek and startling result. The deck superstructure has an aero-dynamic, stealth-bomber design with a vertical bow and air inlets encasing an innovative interior layout based on zen-like simplicity to mask a surprising amount of comfort. Three gas turbines generate 16,800 HP power that allow the 118 WallyPower to cruise a leisurely 60 knots in flat seas and tackle rough waters with ease in this ultimate luxury vehicle. (read more...)
Sealegs plans Rugged Amphibious Craft
November 30, 2004 Sealegs amphibious vehicles can drive straight from land into the water using high-torque, motorised wheels and 'legs' that retract when the craft is afloat. The New Zealand company has unveiled designs for a new Rugged Amphibious Craft (RAC) targeting commercial, military and recreational applications which featues a 140hp inboard engine, jet drive and a solid aluminium hull. (read more...)
T-BOARD hand-held surfboards rethink bodysurfing
November 16, 2004 Surfboard design has been miniaturised with the T-BOARD Surf & Swim bodysurfing device, which straps onto one or both hands to create a wider hydroplaning surface and increase bodysurfing speed. The T-BOARD is designed for use on any kind of wave from 0 to 6 feet high and offers freedom of movement as a swimming aid or in swimming freestyle. The T-BOARD features surfboard-like curves, an over-raised handle and a tri-fin system to give more speed, control and security out on the water. Holding and steering with both hands gives total control, and the T-BOARD is not fixed to your hands so you can just push it aside during critical moments like when the wave closes-out. (read more...)
Spray AUV Makes History Crossing Gulf Stream
November 7, 2004 A small ocean glider named Spray is the first autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), to cross the Gulf Stream underwater, proving the viability of self-propelled gliders for long-distance scientific missions and opening new possibilities for studies of the oceans. Launched about 100 miles south of Nantucket Island, the 2-metre orange glider looks like a model airplane with no visible moving parts. It slowly made its way toward Bermuda some 600 miles to the south of Cape Cod at about one-half knot, or 12 miles per day, measuring various properties of the ocean as it glided up to the surface and then back down to 1,000-metres depth (3,300 feet) three times a day. Scientists recovered the vehicle this week north of Bermuda. (read more...)
US $17,000 Scuba-Doo underwater scooter
November 2, 2004 Scuba-Doo International is set to release a suite of products around its new Scuba-Doo underwater scooter. The completely redesigned underwater scooter is now part of a complete range of marine leisure craft that create turnkey marine leisure businesses including the Diver-Doo mobile launching and diving pontoon, the Adventure-Doo boat with underwater glass viewing area and a beach launching platform that enables the Scuba-Doo to be launched by one person. The Adventure-Doo retails for US$48,000 ($46,000 for the four passenger version), with the detachable platform adding US$2000 and of course you'll need two Scuba-Doos with that, so add another US$17,000 each. (read more...)
Alfa Romeo takes 74th and final win!
UPDATED: November 3, 2004 Alfa Romeo has sailed its last race in Europe, ending its second season with a win in one of the most remarkable yacht races in history. In winning the Mediterranean's classic offshore event, the Rolex Middle Sea Race, the Alfa Romeo crew suffered gastric flu, being becalmed for hours on end, a man overboard and finally being capsized and destroying over US$200,000 of sails. Despite it all, the all-star crew overcame all obstacles and brought the boat home first. Owner Neville Crichton has announced plans to launch a new yacht in July 2005 so advanced it will outperform the global competition in the same way Alfa Romeo has done for the last two years. (read more...)
Universal Hovercrafts go anywhere in style
October 21, 2004 Over land, water, ice or snow - the hovercraft offers a cost-effective, multi-purpose vehicle for recreation and transportation with the thrill of travelling on air. And now Universal Hovercraft has marketed a range of affordable hovercraft kits to house up to ten people in this dynamic mode of travelling, including the striking Hoverwing XR with retractable wings. (read more...)
Hit the waves with an ultra light inflatable surfboard
Surf's up anywhere with the ULI (Ultra Lite Inflatable) range of surf and bodyboards from the ULI Corp of San Diego. Created by Jim Weir, an avid surfer for over 50 years, the ULI (pronounced ooo-lee) solves key problems faced by professional and amateur surfers alike. Many hard flotation devices can be a hassle to transport and aren't allowed in swimming beaches for fear of injury. The ULI board is fully functional, lightweight, perfectly safe for all ages and, best of all - it simply deflates and rolls up into your backpack when the surfing is done! (read more...)
