On the Water
Sealegs amphibious boats head for US shores
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We've been following the development of New Zealand based Sealegs range of ingenious, driveable amphibious boats since back in 2004 and now, after rolling-out in 14 countries worldwide, the company is gearing up for its first US appearance at the at Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in late October. Read More
Two new recreational submarines – the luxury CQ2 and Personal Tour CQ3 submersibles
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September 15, 2008 The submarine was invented several hundred years before the automobile, but it’s not surprising that it is taking a little longer to reach ubiquitous recreational usage. A bent fender is small change indeed compared to the inconvenience of Decompression Sickness, asphyxiation or perhaps being crushed to death. The risk of such perils had to be comprehensively mitigated before recreational submarines could safely come to market and the Dutch U-Boat Worx was the first to get it all right with the C-Quester one-seater CQ1 and two-seater CQ2. Now the company is set to launch a completely revamped CQ2 aimed at the SuperYacht Market and a two-, three- and four-seater CQ3 (pictured) aimed at the tourism industry. Read More
Project Veloce - 130 metre 40 knot Pentamaran Super Yacht
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Now here’s one sure to make the shopping lists of the world’s richest marine enthusiasts. BMT Nigel Gee has announced a high-speed Pentamaran concept aimed at the large yacht market. Developed for high-speed applications, the patented Pentamaran hull form is a derivative of the stabilized monohull concept featuring a long slender central hull, hydrodynamically optimized without the constraints of needing to be stable as stability is provided by two pairs of outriggers or ‘sponsons’. Project Veloce is truly an innovative application of technology in the large yacht market and is based on a 130m platform capable of over 40 knots. The beam of 30m offers significantly more internal area than on an equivalently sized monohull leading to exceptional internal spaces with true flexibility in configuration of the layout. Read More
WaveBlades - US$200 Body Surfing gloves
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Bodysurfing is almost unique in that it requires nothing more than a human being to capture nature’s forces for fun and physical wellbeing, but like most human pursuits, a little extra help can make it so much more. We first wrote up WaveBlades six years ago – the Waveblade is a hand-worn glove-like Bodysurfing device that enables you to catch waves that were previously uncatchable, go faster and further and do new tricks thanks to the extra control available. You can also swim faster – all for US$200. Read More
The networked, reconfigurable Littoral Combat Ship begins trials
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August 13, 2008 The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is an entirely new class of warship designed to enable the U.S. Navy to operate in shallow waters for the many close-to-shore challenges it forsees in the coming years. The LCS is very fast, highly manoeuvrable, fully networked and quickly reconfigurable via 24 hour-installable mission modules to enable it to defeat threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast attack surface craft. There are two variants of the LCS, one a high-speed semi-planing monohull, the other a trimaran, and the first to begin trails is the monohull version from the Lockheed Martin team. Freedom (LCS 1) is currently undergoing “builder trials” on Lake Michigan, testing the ship's propulsion, communications, navigation and mission systems. Read More
University of Maryland wins Unmanned Underwater Vehicle competition
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The University of Maryland has won the 11th Annual International Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition, in San Diego California. The event is organized by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International and the Office of Naval Research, and challenges universities to design and build an AUV capable of navigating realistic underwater missions. Read More
The US$8.5 million Lazzara LSX Ninety Two Luxury Yacht
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August 11, 2008 The European Boat Show season approaches, and we’re beginning to catch the first glimpses of the innovative new luxury yacht designs – one of the first to declare its hand is Lazzara Yachts which will introduce the US$8.5 million LSX Ninety Two, a completely redesigned follow-up to its acclaimed LSX Seventy Five. Scheduled to launch Fall 2008, the spacious LSX 92 features an expansive flybridge, a private water-level terrace off the master stateroom, a retractable aft sun deck shade, and Quad Volvo Penta Quad IPS II drive units. One of the most unique features of the 92 is the generous aft section that includes a large teak swim platform with a garage for toys that converts into a shaded area suitable for entertaining. Read More
Advanced Digital Control for Yamaha Outboard
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July 22, 2008 The concepts of drive-by-wire, steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire were initially eyed with much suspicion by automotive aficionados – how could a computer possibly hope to do a better job than a human being? Well, computers can do a much better job of these tasks, and will eventually be able to turn every aspect of our mere mortal fumbling into Lewis Hamilton-like driving capabilities. Now drive-by-whatever is invading the marine industry with Yamaha’s new second generation 250hp F250B outboard motor. Read More
Pangaea - the world's largest, cleanest expeditionary sailing ship
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The 35-meter two master PANGAEA is the largest and most flexible polar expedition sailboat ever built. It can navigate through tropics and rivers as easily as it can through polar regions, and will travel to five continents, including the North and South Pole. Read More
Sunreef ONE FIFTY - the biggest luxury catamaran in the world
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Catamarans offer a lot more usable interior space than a traditional superyacht of similar length and with two superyachts, the Sunreef 102 Double Deck and the Sunreef 114, already under construction, Sunreef Yachts decided to push the limits to 150 feet. Developed by Sunreef’s own in-house design team, the ONE FIFTY was created in response to a "continuing demand for the special combination of luxury and performance offered uniquely by a catamaran" and its futuristic elegance is further enhanced by using uncut teak and solar panels on the large surface area of the sweeping topside to supply power for the vessel. The main deck features a spacious covered area spread over two levels spanning the entire beam (over 17 meters) with sloping deck leading up to the giant flybridge and navigation station just aft of the 55 meter carbon-fiber mast. Read More
The world’s largest and most expensive ship
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It’s destined to be the world’s largest cruise ship – when launched next year, Royal Caribbean’s US$1.24 billion Project Genesis will be 1,180 feet long, and carry 5400 passengers (6,400 at a pinch). It’s the most expensive ship in history, and it’s longer, wider and taller than the largest ocean liner ever built, (Cunard’s QM II), 43 per cent larger in size than the world’s largest cruise ship, (Freedom of the Seas) and remarkably, bigger than any military ship ever built, aircraft carriers included. In a world where choice of amenities count, Project Genesis has yet another trump card – in the the center of the ship is a lush, tropical park spanning the length of a football field and lined with balcony staterooms rising six decks high with views of the gardens below and the sky above. Read More
The 700 bhp water taxi
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June 18, 2008 Outboard motors have seen enormous progress in a short time, not just in power output, but also in the sophistication of their emission-reduction technologies. We found a prime example this week in Sydney Harbour, Australia, where H2O taxis services 200 local pick-up points. The company upgraded its flagship 10.8m WaterBus from 450 bhp to 700 bhp using twin 5.3 litre V8 F350 Yamaha motors. Not only did it significantly increase cruising speeds, it halved the fuel consumption. Read More
The 2000 bhp uncatchable RIB
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There’s something about a bespoke piece of high-ticket kit that resonates with congruity of purpose and this Rigid Inflatable Boat is a case in point. Apparently at some time the property of a company which purpose-built boats and marketed them as “uncatchable”, it got caught up in a drug case with large amounts of cocaine allegedly found aboard. Being a lighweight RIB with no less than eight 250 horsepower outboards, it has 2000 horses on tap and a low radar signature, and making it very suitable for long-range, high-speed, high-stealth, medium-payload operations. Read More
The Frisian Solar Challenge for boats
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Human beings respond well when challenged and the bolder the challenge, the greater the result. The Frisian Solar Challenge for boats is proof of this and its second running later this month portends a new age – one of silent, non-intrusive and respectful water-based leisure and ultimately, a plethora of distributed power generation solutions. The inaugural 2006 Challenge turned the Dutch province into a hotbed of commercial sustainable energy development and the week-long solar-boat tour of the region has developed a most intriguing man versus machine competition. From June 22 to June 28, Friesland will be home to the world’s largest race of solar vessels: The Frisian Solar Challenge. The race runs along the 220-kilometres-long route of the Frisian Eleven Cities route already famous as the birthplace of competitive skating and the pictured space-age boat is the current favourite for the race with its expected 20 km/h top speed.
Project Green Jet - a vision of the future of sailing
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We cover many wondrous things on Gizmag but few fall into this category for elegance and technological excellence and sheer beauty. Project GreenJet is the modern day equivalent of the jet aircraft on the water and builds on the automated functionality of Erik Sifrer’s highly-acclaimed 36 metre SY120 concept only on a grander 57 metre scale. Going several steps further than the breathtaking, already-in-the-water 88 m Maltese Falcon, Green Jet uses automated systems controlling non-conventional sails to offer a glimpse of the future of sail – faster, more efficient, less labour intensive with minimal environmental impact. The vision is a superyacht sailed by one man with a touchscreen. Gizmag investigates the potential for automated sailing in this feature article. Read More
The world's first solar speedboat: 30-knot, 80kw Czeers Mk1
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Electricity and water: we usually do everything we can to keep the two apart, but it seems the electric engine revolution is moving through the boating world as well. And when you're out on the water enjoying a speedboat, what more appropriate power source is there than the sun? The Czeers MK1 prototype solar speedboat is a 30-knot photovoltaic dream in delicious shades of carbon fiber and lush orange leather with 14 square meters of solar panels and a silently operating 80kw electric motor. Solar boats for environmental warriors eh? Next thing you'll be telling us they're making wind-powered ones. Read More
GE and the C-MAR Group unite to design hybrid tugboat
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Hybrid technology is slowly beginning to make its mark on the roadways as manufacturers of cars, buses and trucks embrace it as a cleaner, more efficient alternative. Efforts are also underway to expand this type of technology on the water - Foss Maritime announced plans to build the world's first true hybrid tug boat in early 2007 and now GE and the C-MAR Group hope to demonstrate the feasibility of a hybrid tugboat technology that will both conserve fuel and reduce emissions. Read More
The Monster: Puma names Volvo Ocean Race entry
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PUMA Ocean Racing has christened its stunning new boat "il mostro" (Italian for "The Monster") before heading out to sea to complete its 2000-mile qualifier for the race which gets underway later in October.
The Floating restaurant table
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We've seen some great moveable entertaining concepts such as the Pedalpub, the Fuya-Jo party van, Red Bull’s nightclub on wheels and the floating beach party but figure this one has greater application than all of them. Part restaurant table, part BBQ, part lounge and part activity platform, this electric-powered, water-going party platform for ten is primarily aimed at the rental market where its versatility makes it suitable for myriad applications. Read More
PUMA Volvo Ocean Race entry makes final preparations
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April 24, 2008 These images provide a tantalizing preview of the as yet unnamed PUMA entry for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 before it hits the waters of Boston Harbor for its official christening on May 12th. Read More
Hemisphere: the world's largest sailing catamaran
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April 9, 2008 The giant 44.2m (145ft), 500 ton Hemisphere will claim the title of the world's largest sailing catamaran when it begins charter operations in the Caribbean in the winter of 2008/2009. Packed with luxurious features including a spacious flybridge with jacuzzi, a shaded dining, an expansive indoor/outdoor living area and full watersports amenities including a dive locker served by a large hydraulic swim platform, the Hemisphere can accommodate twelve guests in its five comfortable ensuite cabins. And the price tag for a sample of this palatial floating escape: charter rates start at US$150,000 per week excluding operating expenses. Read More
Ingenious self-activating buoyancy device for keys, cameras, phones…
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March 26, 2008 It’s an ingenious self-activating miniature buoy on a keyring and after several years of difficulties reaching market, the Seatriever Waterbuoy is now available and seeking international distribution. The UKP13 (US$26) Waterbuoy is the first product in a family of automatic floatation devices that will recover your mobile phone, keys, GPS receiver, PDA, binoculars, VHF radio or anything else that drops overboard. Read More
Wally announces new 'floating island' gigayacht: the WallyIsland
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EXTENSIVELY UPDATED March 20, 2008 Little more than a decade after beginning in business, Monaco-based Wally Yachts continues to develop innovative concepts and minimalist luxury at a rate exceeding any other marine design house on the planet. The company's latest is the WallyIsland – a 99 meter (325 feet) "gigayacht" that dwarfs the vast majority of luxury megayachts and reconceives the yacht as a floating personal island, a mobile address that can be used as a home, an entertaining space or even a moving exhibition or show space. Read More
Stability 60 SWATH - the practical superyacht
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Stability Yachts new catamaran-based US$700,000 yacht uses SWATH (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) technology to reduce unwanted motion at standstill and at speed. The highly adaptable boat has the stability and space of a much larger boat, a large amount of reconfigurable floorspace, joystick manoeuvrability and when the SWATH stability is not required the hulls can be retracted electrically. With a draft of 18” it is comfortable in shallow water and robust enough to run onto a beach to offer an all-mod-cons two-storey beach shack with shaded sand and water beneath. In high seas, SWATH enables a 5’ wave to pass “through” the boat without causing rocking and pitching. Read More
The Waveboat - turns a PWC into a jetboat in 60 seconds
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With 200 bhp PWCs now commonplace, there seems to be a trend emerging of using the PWC as a dockable powerplant for a larger craft, significantly extending the versatility and recreational options of the ski, the docking craft as a water platform, and the carrying capacity to five people and beyond. The Waveboat is to be launched next month and it offers some compelling functionality – just add your Yamaha Waverunner PWC and you have a high speed (video here) jetboat with ultrasweet handling and all the trimmings. With prices starting at US$8000(EUR5600), it’s a bargain accessory – sadly available for Yamaha Waverunners only. Read More
MarySlim: Multimarine Composites' wave cleaving Very Slender Vessel
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Until recently limited to military craft, the wave-piercing attributes of the Very Slender Vessel (VSV) design has now made its way into the civilian boat world in the form of the MarySlim, a stunning 72-foot, £1.5 million, long-range cruiser built by Cornwall based Multimarine Composites that debuted last year at the Royal William Yard in England. The unique shape of the 1650 hp, V12 powered yacht allows it to cleave through waves, eliminating the power-consuming, bruising bounce of other crafts and allowing users to explore greater areas through harsher weather conditions. Read More
Quiet cruising: Kayacht's electric powered kayak kit
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We've seen some exciting examples of motorized kayaks in the past including Surfango's 9.5hp, 25mph PowerKayak, but when speed isn't the primary objective, the electric option offers some key benefits over combustion engine designs - it's low maintenance, cost-effective, non-polluting and best of all it doesn't destroy the peace and tranquility of being on the water the way a 4-stroke does, making it ideal for pursuits such as birdwatching, fishing or photography. Kayacht offer an electric-propulsion solution that will bring these benefits to almost any existing kayak hull. Using a short shaft 30 lb thrust Minnkota motor with 5-speed forward and 3-speed reverse, the add-on system delivers a leisurely 5-6mph cruising speed for around 45 minutes, or for several hours at slower speeds or when using the paddle assist mode. Read More
Smartkat – collapsible catamaran you can store under the bed
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February 4, 2008 Necessity catalyzes invention, so it makes sense that eventually someone would come up with a collapsible boat that doesn’t require a trailer, and can be stored in a cupboard. At just 39 kg with 10 square meters of sail, the Smartkat is not only fast on the water, it is also fast to build (20 minutes), and even faster to put back in its two 180 x 30 x 30 cm bags (10 minutes), all done without tools.
Yamaha builds a giant fishtank on wheels
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January 24, 2008 Intent on driving the marine market size and retaining its share, Yamaha Australia has created two of these massive, 15 metre long, three metres tall, and 2.5 metres wide fishtanks on wheels to tour dealerships and boat shows. Part portable fishing show, part mobile fish tank and part educational program, the 13,000 litre Yamaha SupaTanks are designed to give the public a fish-eye-view on the world of angling. Read More
Maiden voyage for SkySails towing kite system
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January 23, 2008 Hamburg-based SkySails has announced the first test of its towing kite propulsion system during regular shipping operations. The 132m long Multi Purpose Heavy Lift Carrier MS "Beluga SkySails" will set sail from Bremen to Venezuela this week equipped with 160m2 SkySails supporting the main engine with around five tons tractive force at low wind. Read More
Yamaha’s 1800cc Supercharged Super High Output PWCs
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As we mentioned a few weeks back, the Personal Watercraft market is currently in the grips of a horsepower war which was started last year when Kawasaki introduced a turbocharged, 1500cc, 250 horsepower PWC that’ll run 68 mph (60 knots) on water. Not surprisingly, all the other manufacturers have responded in kind, with Yamaha creating an all-new purpose-built craft of astounding technological prowess. The power plant for the new top-of-the-range SHO (Super High Output) WaveRunner models is a compact 1812cc, fuel-injected, supercharged, intercooled, four-cylinder engine. Perhaps even more importantly, the entire hull uses Nanotechnology to achieve a hull 25% lighter than the previous model, yet even stronger. Check out how the new SHO compares here. Read More
The 400 horsepower PWC cometh
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UPDATED IMAGE LIBRARY - The Personal Watercraft (PWC) market is in the grip of a horsepower “arms race” with a rash of new machinery announcements including a 342 bhp 2.2 litre V6-engined PWC from Austrian company HSR-Benelli and a 308 bhp 2.2 litre V8-engined PWC from the famous Italian MV Agusta motorcycle company. It all appears to have been catalyzed late last year when Kawasaki announced its 250 bhp Ultra 250X into a market where Seadoo’s 215 bhp RXP was previously the fastest of the bunch. Subsequently, SeaDoo has announced 255 bhp RXP-X and RXT-X models, Honda has announced a turbocharged 1500cc Aquatrax and Yamaha has announced a new lightweight purpose-built, turbocharged and intercooled 1812cc Super High Output (SHO) motor in its 2008 range. Given the radical upsurge in power outputs, one wonders what might be available a year or two from now. Read on … Read More
Aqua-car: Rinspeed preview sQuba diving concept vehicle
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Never shy of venturing into unchartered territory, Swiss automotive design company Rinspeed’s latest Concept takes the aquatic theme showcased in its 2004 Splash Amphibious Hydrofoil Sportscar to the next level with its latest creation - the sQuba diving Concept Car. Thirty years after the release of the film The Spy Who Loved Me, where James Bond took to the deep in a subaquatic Lotus Espirit, Rinspeed aim to turn the famous cinematic sequence into reality with an amphibious, zero-emission Concept designed to dive to depths of up to 33 feet (10 meters) using two propellers in the stern and two jet drives in the bow. Read More
Sealegs breaks amphibious on-water record
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December 7, 2007 Earlier this week we reported on a planned record attempt by Sealegs to become the fastest amphibious vehicle in the World on water - a goal which the company achieved earlier today at speeds of more than 100kmh (62mph). Read More
Sealegs amphibious vehicle sets sights on speed record
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December 5, 2007 Sealegs International is gearing up for a world record attempt as the fastest amphibious vehicle over 500m on-water. Read More
