Roman Abramovich arrived in the French port of Antibes this week aboard his boat, Eclipse, which is the largest yacht in the world at more than 530 feet.
The Russian billionaire and his girlfriend were apparently planning to stay at Mr. Ambramovich’s villa in town. Because I guess the boat’s 30 cabins, two swimming pools and disco hall proved a little confining.
Yet when they pulled up to the Antibes dock, they encountered a problem: no parking space.
Antibes is the largest yachting harbor in Europe. But apparently, there is only one berth big enough for Eclipse. But it was already taken by Saudi Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal and his 265-foot yacht Kingdom 5KR. (5KR was featured in the James Bond film “Never Say Never Again.”)
According to a report in the Daily Mail, a port official said that Abramovich and his family were welcome to disembark, but “with a yacht this size it was not possible.”
Abramovich had to suffer the indignity of docking offshore and taking one of the boat’s tenders in to shore.
With so many super-yachts now in the water, Antibes has plans to build more extra-large berths. For now, however, the billionaire yacht owners of the world will have to fight for parking spaces.
Bored in retirement, legendary aerospace engineer Burt Rutan is working on a new project, a high-speed winged boat that can double as a seaplane, so he can fly between lakes and rivers near his new home in Coeur d’Alene, a lakeside resort in northern Idaho.
Famed for designing a series of innovative aircraft and spacecraft, Rutan began building planes of his own design in the late 1960s while working as a project engineer for the US Air Force. He founded Scaled Composites in Mojave, California in 1982, where he became famous for designing Voyager, the first plane to fly around the world without refuelling in 1986. More recently, Rutan designed a flying car, which got off the ground for the first time in July.
However, his crowning achievement was SpaceShipOne, which in 2004 became the first privately funded craft to fly a human into space. A follow-on design, SpaceShipTwo, is intended to carry six space tourists to altitudes of about 120 kilometres, but so far has only glided in the air.
But when Burt Rutan says “seaplane”, you know he’s not thinking of the propeller-powered pontoon planes that have been flown for decades. Instead, his plans draw inspiration from large wing Russian ships or “ekranoplans” built during the Cold War (see above). Essentially boats with wings and aircraft engines, they could rise up to 20 or 30 metres above the water. Rutan is thinking of a much smaller wing-boat that could reach high speeds in boat-mode on the water then take off and fly.
It can handle road, sand, ice and even water – and won’t make a mark on the environment. The all-terrain vehicle, which has a top speed of 100km/h and works like a hovercraft, can move seamlessly between different surfaces.
Chinese designer Yuhan Zhang, aged just 21, created the spectacular car – called the Volkswagen Aqua – for a competition sponsored by the German car manufacturer. It features a shiny, sleek design with four fans and integrated airbags that inflate to make the vehicle hover.
It’s also totally environmentally friendly – its two motors are powered by a hydrogen fuel cell which boasts zero carbon emissions. One of the motors inflates a “skirt” around the vehicle to lift it off the ground, while the other drives it forward and controls the vehicle’s direction.
Mr Zhang said: “There is no better form of transport than an air cushion vehicle because it travels equally well over land, ice and water. “I hope Aqua will one day become an affordable supercar that is widely available to the general public.”
The competition asked designers to come up with a “Chinese off-road vehicle”. Aqua is based on technology that is currently available.
AIS is initially intended to help ships avoid collisions, as well as assisting port authorities to better control sea traffic. AIS transponders on board vessels include a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, which collects position and movement details. It includes also a VHF transmitter, which transmits periodically this information on two VHF channels (frequencies 161.975 MHz and 162.025 MHz – old VHF channels 87 & 88) and make this data available to the public domain. Other vessels or base stations are able to receive this information, process it using special software and display vessels locations on a chart plotter or on a computer.
If you like tracking ships or just like being nosey, you can use the Marine Traffic website to do just that. You can move around the map and zoom in on your area and see what commercial traffic is there, what direction it is moving and at what speed is it moving. Living on the Delaware River, I often see commercial ships that I wonder about so I just look them up real time as they pass by. Use the following link to visit the Marine Traffice site. http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?level0=100
Ran across this recently and thought I would pass along. I haven’t gone diving in years but this reminds me of the beauty of the sport. To see what this environmentalist group is up to, use the following link to their website. Tank Bangers
What does it take a nation to secure its people these days? Looks like the marines are preparing themselves well as they gear up with what they claim is the first Ghost military watercraft of the world. Developed at New Hampshire’s Juliet Marine Systems (JMS), the first prototype of the Ghost marine platform is said to “be invisible to enemy ships’ radar”. Moreover, it is also reportedly “faster and more economical than existing military vessels” as the makers claim it to be the “world’s first super-cavitating watercraft”. Also state heads and VIPs used to travelling in armored cars can opt for an ultra-secured way to cross the seas in such a watercraft.
JMS adds, “GHOST is a combination aircraft/boat that has been designed to fly through an artificial underwater gaseous environment that creates 900 times less hull friction than water. Manned by a crew of three, the primary intention of these watercrafts is patrolling of naval fleets, and protecting them against pirate attacks. It can also carry thousands of pounds of weapons, including Mark 48 torpedoes”.
WASHINGTON – While the majority of boaters in colder parts of the country have winterized their boats or put them into storage until spring, many still rely on their vessels for hunting, fishing or necessary transportation in cold weather, substantially increasing their risk of a deadly accident. Extra caution and preparation should be taken before heading out on the water in winter.
The U.S Coast Guard says the importance of wearing a life jacket becomes even more critical when the danger for hypothermia is added to other concerns. Sudden immersion in cold water can have severe physiological consequences, such as cardiac arrest, fast loss of body heat (the body loses heat 25 times faster in cold water than in cold air) and involuntary inhalation of water (gasping) that results in drowning. Most Coast Guard-approved life jackets when worn are designed to keep the user’s head above water while awaiting rescue.
In addition to wearing a life jacket, wearing the right clothing also can contribute to a more enjoyable and safer cold weather boating experience. Consider layering clothing, including a wet suit or dry suit, to help ward off the effects of hypothermia.
Following are some additional tips for safe winter boating:
Assess the risks – envision what can go wrong and be fully equipped and prepared.
Leave a float plan with a responsible individual who knows your intentions, location, and who to call if you fail to return as scheduled.
Carry a VHF radio or EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon), signal flares and other means to draw attention to your location.
Be aware of and prepared for the shock of sudden immersion and incapacitating effects of cold water – dress to get wet and carry a change of clothing in a waterproof container.
Maintain situational awareness on the water – be aware of activity around your vessel and potential for fast-changing weather conditions.
Boat safe and sober – save the alcohol for when you’ve safely returned.
Be sure your vessel is in good operating condition and has the necessary safety equipment on board before you leave the dock.
Trying to decide between buying a flashy limousine or a fancy yacht? Why choose when you can have both? Well, if you’ve got a spare $132 million that is…
Created by luxury boat and car designer Gray Design, the Sovereign combines the best of both worlds – a superyacht that comes with a matching limousine that can be lifted onto land using on-board cranes.
The vessel took “design cues from exclusive limousines” and the yacht looks like a much larger sea version of the car it comes with.
“We thought about a typical person on board one of these yachts and asked: how do they travel on land? Well – limousine,” Gray Design boss Eduard Gray told CNN.
Sovereign super yacht
Overstated luxury is the theme of this vessel, which features furniture designed by Armani. Picture: Gray Design
Source: news.com.au
With three decks over the 100m length of the yacht, designers say the Sovereign “keeps an extremely low profile by current standards”.
But with a swimming pool, golfing green, ten guest suites, a nightclub, private cinema and a helicopter pad, “low profile” may not be the right term.
For all its extravagance though, the Sovereign proves it is possible to be excessive and eco-friendly. It uses a wind turbine in the yacht’s mast and solar panels on the cabin roof to generate clean energy to run itself.
The Daily Mail reports the boat is still in the engineering stage, but should enter production soon.
Sovereign super yacht
The Sovereign also boasts a swimming pool, jacuzzi, private cinema, golfing green and helipad. Picture: Gray Design
While most personal submarines, such as U-boat Worx’s offerings, employ electric motors powered by a rechargeable battery pack, US-based company AquaVenture has taken a different approach to create what it says is the fastest personal submersible available. This is because the SeaBird doesn’t pack a propulsion system of its own, but is instead towed through the water by a surface vessel.
AquaVenture says the patent-pending tow system used on the SeaBird essentially delivers the power of an internal combustion engine to an underwater vessel. Pointing out that the fastest personal subs currently available are limited to speeds of less than 10 mph, the company says the SeaBird will be certified to travel at speeds of up to 22 knots, both above and below the water’s surface.
The SeaBird can be towed on a cable of up to 400 ft in length, which allows it to operate in a large cone behind the towing surface vessel. Up to two SeaBirds can be towed from the one surface vessel and AquaVenture says the vehicles can operate to depths of 150 ft – however, this can be doubled to 300 ft for “certain (non tourism) customers.” The SeaBird also provides a habitable atmosphere for 24-72 hours.
Controlled via a side-mounted joystick and rudder pedals, the SeaBird is guided by an electrically-actuated 6-hydroplane control system, which AquaVenture says allows it to perform rapid 360-degree rolls, and climb and dive steeper than most roller-coasters. The company also offers the option of a single center-mounted 3-axis control stick in place of the side-mounted joystick and rudder pedals. The electrical system is powered by 24-volt hot-swappable batteries that can swapped out in around five minutes.
The SeaBird’s pressure section is constructed from ABS certified steel, with the canopies made from ABS certified Plexiglass and the external faring or shell composed of composite materials – primarily fiberglass with Kevlar at the front for impact protection and in the lower portion of the shell for protection from sea-floor impacts. An energy absorbing crumple zone is designed to protect the sub’s pressurized section in the event of a collision, while its positive buoyancy means it will automatically surface if the towing vessel comes to a stop or is disconnected from the SeaBird.
The SeaBird also features a sonar system to display potential underwater hazards in cases of reduced visibility and offers optional extras including leather seats, headliner and trim, custom exterior paint job, wired telemetry system offering the ability to transmit video, GPS and other data in real time between the SeaBird and the surface, additional video monitors, upgraded lighting, and additional sensors, such as water temperature, salinity and sea-state.
While a single-seater version is in the works, AquaVenture will initially launch with a two-seater model measuring 21.5 ft in length, with a maximum diameter of 40.5 in and maximum width at the dive planes of 120 in and a dry weight of 6,570 lb. Without its own propulsion system, the company says the SeaBird will be cheaper than most personal submarines on the market – although you will obviously need to shell out for a surface vessel to tow it if you don’t already have one.
Its $210,000.00 base retail price includes training for one pilot and a short warranty period that has yet to be finalized. AquaVenture has had the SeaBird in development for over four years and has just recently completed design and testing and begun taking orders.
In this video, take a look inside the SeaBird as company Vice President Rob DeCesare takes the craft through some breach testing.
A 2 inch hole in a boat can take in as much as 1.8 gallons of water per second. For any boating enthusiast, professional or recreational, it is the first few seconds that determine if the incident will result in a minor inconvenience that is corrected quickly or a disaster that results in a boat sinking and people drowning.
Globally, thousands of people are forced into the water or drown as a result of leaks and holes that lead to the sinking of a boat. Regrettably, many of these tragic events are preventable with rapid emergency bung or gap filling solutions. Until now, many of the commercially available solutions for plugging leaks and gaps in boats, canoes, yachts and other water craft were complicated, time consuming, messy or just not very effective. A new Australian product, created following years of testing and research, solves this problem. Boat Bog, a new emergency boat repair solution, is 100% travel safe with no harmful ingredients, is environmentally friendly and won’t cause irritation to your skin or eyes. It is not affected by the elements and can be safely stored on-board until needed.
Boat Bog is an emergency repair product designed to instantly stop water inundation through leaking, cracked or breached hulls and is a recommended addition to your standard safety equipment. Boat Bog can be applied by hand immediately out of the packaging to temporarily stop or slow the inward flow of water until safely back on shore. It can later be easily removed without further damaging or cutting your hull for professional repairs to be made.
In a simple product demonstration, one of the Boat Bog team takes to a small aluminium fishing boat (also called a “tinnie” in Australia) with an angle grinder, leaving a sizeable 4 inch long hole in the bottom of the craft. They then place the boat into a swimming pool, where it immediately starts to take on water at a rapid rate. In no time at all, they have a packet of Boat Bog open and pushed into the hole which immediately stops the flow of water in what was sure to result in the boat sinking. This now leaves the boater free to use more traditional measures such as baling and bilge pumps and get back to shore or safety where more permanent repairs can be made.
Unlike other products, Boat Bog requires no preparation or time to set – “something we consider handy when your pride and joy is taking on water” says Brett Mudie, Director at Boat Bog. Simply break a strip from the packet and push it into the leaking area (even underwater) to immediately patch the leak with no curing time required. The dense compound will flex with hull movement and is designed to withstand a reasonable hydrostatic pressure while you return to shore or wait for rescue. Boat Bog works in various temperatures, in both salt and fresh water and is suitable for all types of vessel, including boats, yachts, kayaks and canoes. It is designed specifically to work on all non-inflatable materials from polyester to fibreglass, epoxy fibreglass, plastic, aluminium and wood.
Boat Bog is proudly Australian owned and manufactured. Many years of research and fine-tuning has produced this patented formula. Boat Bog comes in both a 3.5 ounch and 7 ounce block, retailing for just $24.95. Product and purchase information can be found at www.boatbog.com.
“We believe that Boat Bog should be on deck of every boat in the world” commented Michael Skalij, co-director at Boat Bog. “It stops leaks fast and saves valuable equipment but most importantly lives” he added further. If you’ve ever thought twice about what lurks below, or hope you’ll never need that life jacket, then make sure you have Boat Bog emergency repair on hand… Don’t wait until it’s too late! Boat Bog - “Is it worth not having”
Maybe there is such a thing as too much yacht.
It can handle road, sand, ice and even water – and won’t make a mark on the environment. The all-terrain vehicle, which has a top speed of 100km/h and works like a hovercraft, can move seamlessly between different surfaces.
