Terra Wind Amphibious RV
April 24th, 2007 by EDB
The Gibbs Technologies high speed amphibians are nice for the performance buff but suppose you lean toward the luxurious, what then? The Terra Wind amphibious RV is just what you need. It’s a high end motor coach so you can camp next to that lake in the mountains and live in style but if you wish to do a little fishing out where the bigs ones are biting, just drive down the boat ramp and cruise over to the other side.
Cool Amphibious Manufacturers International makes this one of a kind crossover but they build several other similar vehicles, the Hydra Spyder, which is an automotive amphibian and the Hydra Terra amphibious bus. Although the other vehicles are pretty amazing in their own right, none have quite the visual impact of the Terra Wind. Seeing a full size luxury motor home cruising around with other boats gets you scratching your head until you come to grips with just what this is.
Prices begin at $850,000. There may not be a huge market for these but I bet at least a few folks would be more than willing to park one of these in their garage, … or next to their dock.
Link: CAMI
Blue Heron Wood Strip Kayaks
April 23rd, 2007 by EDB
Ross Leidy builds kayaks and they are drop dead gorgeous. Kayaks are sleek to begin with but adding the factor of wood construction gives them a visual bonus. Ross has a series of different kayaks displayed on his website, some following plans he found to his liking and some of his own design.
He found the process so rewarding he’s even created a software design package, KayakFoundry, which is available for download from his website. You can try your own hand at design but turning those designs into the beautiful creations Ross has on display will take considerably more than a few clicks of a computer mouse.
If you find wooden boats, and particularly kayaks, of interest, you should visit his site. Definitely worthwhile.
Link: Blue Heron Kayaks via Make
New EPA Rules for Boats and Personal Watercraft
April 21st, 2007 by EDBThe EPA has proposed new emission regulations for small engines, including those used in boats and personal watercraft. This follows the increasingly strict regulations being imposed on all forms of vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.
… recreational watercraft can emit as much (hourly pollution) as 348 cars an hour. By 2030, recreational watercraft powered by gasoline engines would see a 70 percent reduction in smog-forming hydrocarbon (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), a 20 percent reduction in carbon monoxide (CO), and a 70 percent reduction in fuel evaporative emissions. When fully implemented, the rule would result in annual emission reductions of 630,000 tons of HC, 98,000 tons of NOx, 6,300 tons of direct particulate matter, and 2.7 million tons of CO.
The new standards will apply as early as 2009.
Proposed rules for Spark ignition engines and vessels: Read the rest of this entry »
