Converting Oil Rigs to Idyllic Diving Resorts

SeaVentures Dive Resort

When you first discover the underwater wonderland of a thriving tropical coral reef, you will understand why people fly thousands and tens of thousands of miles for the experience. Off the east coast of Malaysian Borneo sits an abandoned oil rig that has been converted into a diving resort -- Seaventures. People come from Britain, Japan, China, and a few from the US.

"So far as we know, we're the only ones in the world using an oil rig as a hotel and diving platform," said Suzette Harris, the Singaporean owner. Her father-in-law, a regional Malaysian official, bought the rig in Singapore in 1988 (there, she said, "you can buy a used drilling platform just like you can buy a used boat."). He had it towed into Borneo waters.

No one would confuse the result with a luxury hotel. The 25 tiny guest rooms, although spotlessly clean, resemble those on a cruise ship that has seen better days. A visitor's room had a rusty metal locker without hangers to serve as a closet, and the reading lights and shower water heater didn't work. The air smelled from the oil powering the generators. For recreation, an employee band every few nights blasted rock music into the hours when one might have wanted to sleep. Meals were far from haute cuisine, although fresh and bounteous. A three-day, two-night scuba-diving package for $516, per-person double occupancy, includes room, meals, transfers, equipment rental and guarantees of a morning of three dives at Sipadan Island. _WSJ_via_ImpactLab

Not exactly luxury accomodations, but the surroundings should more than make up for the spartan lodgings.

Similar abandoned oil rigs sit idle around the world, when they could be put to very good use.

Underwater Paradise

For example, in the Gulf of Mexico off the US coast, there are many dozens of abandoned rigs that the Obama administration is demanding be dismantled and hauled away as trash. What a waste -- and by an administration that prides itself on its hope and change! Why not help to institute positive change, and turn the abandoned rigs into thriving ongoing concerns? It is easy to create artificial reefs which attract entire new ecosystems. Why not make it a part of an overall plan to rejuvenate the Gulf economy -- after the Obama Pelosi devastation and mismanagement following the BP oil spill?

Unfortunately, the O-P regime seems to be more concerned with destroying the ability of energy companies to make profits and stay in business, than it is with creating a thriving and prosperous nation. Too, too bad.

Can A Stealthy Flying Submarine Escape the Madness?

Seaplanes and flying boats have been around for some time. But a flying boat that can also run submerged, is a bird of another feather. Multiple teams are now attempting to design such a bird ... er, fish ... er, loon. Loons, for example, are excellent swimmers, and can fly long distances at up to 70 miles per hour, and dive to 150 feet, staying submerged for several minutes (up to 15 minutes).

This is a DARPA project, in progress. Designers have been forced to abandon the deep dive capability of the flying sub, due to the excessive weight of the batteries necessary to maintain undersea life support and ship's functions. This may only be a temporary setback, however.

...rather than using electric power, the Auburn team favours propelling the vessel with a gas turbine fed by air drawn in through a 10-metre snorkel. That means the sub will have to stay close to the surface. While DARPA has yet to specify at what depth the flying sub should operate, being restricted to a limited depth might not matter. "As long as it is not visible, there's not much reason to dive far below the surface," says Bob Allwood, engineer and chief executive of the Society for Underwater Technology in London. "The problem is that the craft has still got to be slightly denser than water to submerge."

Hawkes, however, does not see this as a problem. In fact he doesn't accept that the craft has to be made heavier to sink beneath the waves, any more than a normal aircraft has to become more buoyant to take off. "You can't build an aeroplane that is also a balloon, and an aeroplane can't go under water in the same way a sub does. You're mixing two fundamentally different modes of operation."

Hawkes already builds submarines that are lighter than water (New Scientist, 12 February 2000, p 36). To overcome their natural buoyancy and keep them below the surface, they are equipped with wings that generate downward "lift". "Think about it as flying under water," he says. "It can be done. It just needs a lot of work."

...To operate below the waves as well as above them, these wings will have to be a bit out of the ordinary. "One important thing is that the craft's wings will need a symmetrical aerofoil, unlike the asymmetrically curved wing that gives aircraft lift," he says. So when the craft is airborne, the wing will need a positive "angle of attack": in other words, it will need to be angled upwards relative to the airflow. To achieve this, the craft will have to fly in a nose-up attitude. Conversely, when under water it will need a negative angle of attack, so the craft will travel nose-down...

... Hawkes foresees jet engines playing a dual role, propelling the plane through the water as well as through the air. There's no reason why the compressor and turbine blades in a jet engine can't be driven by an electric motor to generate thrust under water, he says. It should be possible to build an engine that runs on kerosene in air and switches to electricity when submerged.

Others are already thinking along these lines. Last year, aircraft manufacturer Airbus patented a hybrid electric jet engine for airliners which can be powered by both conventional kerosene and electricity. Most jet engines have an electric starter motor, and this motor could spin the turbine's shaft under water, Hawkes suggests. The blades would rotate more slowly than normal, he says, and the engine won't be particularly efficient. "But I believe this could work perfectly well."_NewScientist

Al Fin engineers (submarine, marine, and aerospace) have taken a look at the project, and believe that the vessel simply begs to be nuclear powered. A potentially viable nuclear powered airplane was designed -- but never built -- by the US government. The tricks will be to make the engine design compatible with high velocity flight and deep sea diving in saltwater.

Stay tuned.

Yachts Morphing to Floating Islands, More

The design of the WALLY Yacht above hints at an evolution in yacht design away from traditional forms, and moving closer to the seastead floating island concept.  Such designs will allow a seastead to move out of the way of larger storms.

Meet the WHY 58X38 — a $160 million yacht that's basically an island unto itself.

"Everybody's dream is to live on an island, in complete freedom, without constraint, with the independence that only self-sufficiency can provide. A piece of land with a beautiful villa partly fulfills this aspiration because its static. A yacht offers the freedom to move, but does not have the space of a property. WHY has it all: space, stability, movement, independence, and peace," Wally Yachts President Luca Bassani Antivari wrote.

The WHY 58X38, which measures 58 meters by 38 meters (more than 35,000 square feet), offers three levels of space. The first level has living space with a beach, spa, dining room, music room and cinema. The second level has suites, a lounge and a library. The third level is the owner's space. _DailyNews

These floating islands are bound to be scaled up over time. They will also eventually incorporate heliports and enclosed, protected small boat harbours.   So, from land, you can reach your mobile floating island via small boat, helicopter, amphibious plane --- or jet pack!

The Martin Aircraft (New Zealand) jet pack uses premium gasoline for fuel, and can achieve up to 30 minutes of flight time.  It can fly you to your seastead as long as you do not roam too far away on land.

The Jetpack is constructed from carbon fiber composite, has a dry weight of 250 lbs (excluding safety equipment) and measures 5 ft high x 5.5 ft wide x 5 ft long. It's driven by a 2.0 L V4 2 stroke engine rated at 200 hp (150 kw), can reach 8000 ft (estimated) and each of the two 1.7 ft wide rotors is made from carbon / Kevlar composite.

There is always risk associated with flying so Martin Aircraft has been careful to equip the pack with redundant systems that will take over in the event that the main system goes down. If a crash-landing is required, a pilot-operated toggle will rapidly fire a small amount of propellant deploying a ballistic parachute (similar to a car airbag) which will allow the pilot and jetpack to descend together. It also has an impact-absorbing carriage, patented fan jet technology and 100 hours engine TBO (Time Between Overhaul). Small vertical take-off and landing aircraft (VTOL) are not subject to the same limitations as other helicopters and fixed wing aircrafts but Martin Aircraft have built it to comply with ultralight regulations and therefore suggest it as at least as safe to operate, and claim it is the safest of all jetpacks yet built. _Gizmag

Twin 710 hp 47' Catamaran Code X Yacht

The 47′ 7” catamaran comes with a hybrid engine that can either give you a thumping 710hp by twin Ilmor Formula 1 engines to propel the yacht at a speed in excess of 80 knots or a more leisurely 9 knots using its twin electric motors. The battery pack has the capability to run continuously for two hours and can be recharged using the on-board solar panels for additional leisure. _Ecofriend

Very few production water craft can do 80 knots -- particularly through ocean swell. This power catamaran yacht is obviously made for bursts of speed, but it can also troll for days on end using its twin electric motors powered by PV solar panels.

From Swiss company Code X based in Meggen on Lake Lucerne
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Regular readers already know my complaint: Although it has a modern look to it, the yacht cannot fly and it cannot run submerged like a submarine. Too many designers of toys for rich boys neglect to incorporate rich multifunctionality in their design. They seem to think if it looks cool, makes a loud vrooooom!!, and incorporates a few trendy "green" features, that everyone will oooh and aaaah over their creation.

Wake up, bozos. Time to stop designing expensive toys for the 80s and 90s that only do one or two things, and time to start thinking like 21st century engineers living in the real world. 21st century adventurers want to be able to go just about anywhere without changing vehicles frequently.

Undersea Hotel: Luxury 66 Feet Down

For a mere US $5500 per night, you and your significant other can escape the hectic surface world of Dubai for the privacy of your own Neptunian paradise.

At a rough cost of UK£300 million, this jaw-dropping engineering challenge will allow guests to get a true taste for the peace and beauty of underwater life – and at a projected pricetag of up to USD$5500 per night for a room, you'd certainly be hoping that life is much better down where it's wetter....While all 220 of the hotel's bubble-shaped suites lie on the floor of the Persian Gulf, 66 feet (20 metres) under the surface of the water, the twin domes of the hotel's concert auditorium and ballroom will break through the surface. The ballroom's retractable roof will allow guests to enjoy open-air events, with panoramic views of the coastline and the Dubai skyline when the weather's fine – which, being Dubai, will be almost all of the time.

The Hydropolis will be well-looked after in emergencies – a series of watertight doors will allow management to completely seal off entire sections of the complex in the case of a rupture (here's hoping there's nobody in the sealed bits!) – and in anticipation that such an extravagant project might be a terrorist target, the complex will have its own missile defense system.

Gizmag

Of course, another undersea hotel in Fiji will probably start receiving guests sooner. While the Fijian undersea hotel will be smaller than the one in Dubai, its relative remoteness from the troubled Persian Gulf region may make it more attractive for those who truly want to "get away."

Bruce Jones has spent much of his career designing underwater toys for the rich and famous. The 50-year-old president of U.S. Submarines is best known for building ultraluxe custom subs, $80-million vessels that feature private staterooms, paneled interiors made from exotic hardwoods, plush carpeting, and enough onboard oxygen to keep you and 10 friends breathing easy for three weeks of cruising at depths of nearly 1,000 feet. Now Jones is redirecting his expertise in undersea opulence toward the hotel industry. His plan: to open the Poseidon Mystery Island, the world’s first major resort at the bottom of the ocean, by September 2008.

PopsciCheck out the YouTube video below for an enticing video tour of the Poseidon undersea resort now under construction:

It will not be long before persons with access to large sums of money have a choice of luxury accommodation on the sea, under the sea, in the sky on a luxury dirigible, in earth orbit, or perhaps even on the moon.

Personally, I like the idea of my own submarine that can also fly, drive on the highway, or power across the surface like a boat. Perhaps molecular assembler fabs can help with that?

Ultralight Pilots Needed: Quicker, More Economic Disaster Relief

The seeds of Mr. Lishman's invention were sown in 1998, when he watched news coverage of the relief efforts that followed Hurricane Mitch, a sluggish storm that stalled over Central America, killing nearly 11,000 people and leaving more than 8,000 missing. Mr. Lishman noted that it took weeks to get supplies to some areas that were accessible only by air. GlobeandMail

Disaster rescue and relief is expensive work. Remote areas often lack landing strips for large supply craft, and helicopters are incredibly expensive to own, operate, and maintain.

Mr. Lishman is on to a new project - a tiny, skeletal aircraft he hopes will revolutionize the business of disaster relief. Mr. Lishman wants to pack more than a dozen of the little planes into a container that can be flown to areas such as Sudan's Darfur region, where they could be deployed like mechanized hornets, buzzing to hard-hit sites with loads of food and medical supplies.

...Mr. Lishman quickly saw that the helicopter had some key drawbacks when it came to disaster relief. Getting them to the scene was a problem; helicopters are too slow to fly over very long distances, and are too large and complex to break down and pack inside an airplane. They are also extremely costly. The least expensive helicopter on the market (the two-seat Robinson R22) goes for more than $225,000. Most helicopters cost far more.

Helicopters also demand constant, expensive maintenance and a highly skilled pilot. In Canada, a Robinson R22 rents for about $400 an hour, including the pilot, while a larger helicopter, such as the popular Bell JetRanger, costs about $1,000 an hour.

...The rescue trike's key feature is its simplicity: It can be built for little more than the price of a mid-size car, maintained by a shade-tree mechanic, and packed into a box for easy transport. Mr. Lishman said at least 15 of the machines can be loaded into a transport plane, packed inside a steel container.

The transport plane would serve as a delivery system for the Air First Aid team. After landing at the nearest available airstrip, the rescue trikes would be unloaded and assembled. If necessary, the container they arrived in could serve as a shelter for the pilots. The fleet of the ultralights would be loaded with supplies and then head for the disaster scene, guided by an inexpensive GPS unit.

Source

I like the idea. It makes sense on many levels, and In fact, I wouldn't mind flying one of these "trikes" in a relief situation. The biggest drawback is the weather limitations that ultralight aircraft must necessarily respect.

Although these rescue trikes are not supposed to be thought of as "toys," I am putting this post in the "Adventure Toys" category just for the fun of it.

Volitan Yacht: Solid Sails + Photoelectric Power

Here is an intriguing yacht concept: solid sails, double outriggers (each with electric motor propeller drive and adjustable underwater stabiliser), and plenty of photovoltaic cells. Check out the video.

Designed by Turkish design firm Designnobis Studio, the Volitan is a new lightweight, futuristic, and green concept boat that runs using solid sails, wind power and solar energy. The name comes froma word that means ‘flying fish.’ Actually, it looks like a fish with her sails down. The functions of the Volitan are controlled and optimized by a networked computer. The solid sails, which are equipped with double layer solar cell panels, are used to harness both wind and solar energy. If the sea goes rough, the boat’s wings fold up against the boat, but there is nothing to worry as because the Volitan is engineered to operate in up to 60 knot winds.

Moreover, the futuristic boat is able to turn on a dime with the help of the two smaller stabilizer wings. Going green is the current trend and owning a green boat would be among the wish-list of the uber-rich. Let’s see if the ingenious concept meets realism.

source
Hat tip technovelgy

Swimming Faster than You Ever Thought Possible

The problem with human swimming is that it is so inefficient! Only 3% of our efforts actually go into forward swimming force, and even with a good pair of fins we are only 10% efficient moving through the water. What if we could swim more like dolphins?

.... the Pentagon’s research wing, DARPA, is developing a contraption that lets Navy SEALs and other combat divers swim faster, and with less effort.

Instead of kicking, PowerSwim calls for a kind of undulation as its hinged foils pivot up and down. Similar to the way a dolphin or tortoise pumps its fins, this motion generates both lift and thrust. And while artificial fins operate within the swimmer’s own wake (they form a kind of expanding cone, starting at a swimmer’s shoulders), the PowerSwim’s lead foil—or propulsor foil—sweeps through the water just outside that wake.

When used properly, the device allows swimmers to cover a given distance up to 150 percent faster than with fins, while using the same amount of energy. Much of that boost in metabolic efficiency is due to the muscle groups used. As DARPA program manager Barbara McQuiston explained, the swimmer is essentially relaxing into a slightly bent position, instead of forcing or pushing the foils through the water. This takes the emphasis off the small muscle groups used to kick, and allows larger muscle groups, such as the glutes and quads, to take over. During tests, it typically took around 2 hours for Navy SEALs to fight the urge (and years of training) to move forcefully and learn the PowerSwim’s unique motion.

PopMechanics

While this swimming technology was developed for military divers and swimmers, there is no reason why the rest of us cannot take advantage of a good idea. It appears likely that the swimmer's head would have to remain under water, so the need to breath underwater has to be addressed with compressed air, snorkels, gills, or other devices.


Adventurous swimmers who want to swim great distances might tow a raft containing food and gear. If the sea level of Earth rises as precipitously as many of the doomseekers of CAGW appear to wish, this sea level rise combined with "peak oil" might require a lot more swimming for coastal residents. Many people currently living on the mainland may soon find themselves living on an island. When that happens, if we no longer have fuel for engines, swimming or rowing might be the last resort for a daily commute.
;-)

Stratospheric Dreams, Harsh Realities

Thanks to Michael Anissimov and Brian Wang for emailing information about the Strato Cruiser luxury dirigible seen above. The conceptual art at dezeen.com is magnificent.

The human imagination has limits, but we are nowhere close to reaching those limits. As human knowledge and technology expand, the human imagination will expand its own range. We will also learn how to become more intelligent, so as to be able to develop the many wonders that our imaginations and dreams reveal to us.

What are the harsh realities?

Our intelligence--our IQ combined with executive function and emotional/social intelligence--and our physical talents, need to be trained. Think of our intelligence as a mineral ore that needs refining. We need the best education--free of indoctrination--that is available. We need to be sure to provide a diversity of ideas--the only type of diversity that means anything in an educational context--to all of our children.

Sadly, our higher educactional system (and lower government educational systems) are failing us badly--even while educational costs are skyrocketing.

If our universities were providing a quality product, we might excuse their economic ineptness and tendency to pamper sinecured faculty and staff at the expense of parents and taxpayers. Unfortunately, universities have become indoctrination centers--particularly in the liberal arts and social sciences.

One of most perverse results of the massive indoctrination into a "monocultured multiculture" of focused entitlement, is the decade-long wave of "fake hate crimes" that have swept university campuses from George Washington University to Gonzaga to Boise State to Claremont to "Ole Miss" to too many campuses to list.

As law professor Glenn Reynolds stated: If hate crimes did not exist, it would be necessary to invent them.

And so they have--by the gross. Why? Consider the phenomenom of "Women's Studies Departments", "Ethnic Studies Departments", "Sexual Orientation Studies Departments" etc. What are students taught in these superfluous departments that prepare students for nothing except teaching in similar departments, or other forms of professional indoctrination? These backwater (but well-compensated) departments teach their students strong feelings of grievance, entitlement, and perpetual hostility toward "the man" that keeps them down.

In the absence of the hate crimes they are taught to expect, what can these fantasy-rich, deluded minds do but to re-create the atmosphere of hostility, hatred, and abuse that their professors immerse them in each day?

It is a matter of cause and effect. For those who continue to associate Al Sharpton with Tawana Brawley, this is not a new phenomenon. But it has become an endemic phenomenon, thanks to the near ubiquitous phenomenon of "gender, racial, sexual "grievances departments" on campuses. The Duke U. faculty group of 88 response to the lacrosse team rape allegations, and the media circus that followed every rumour and inuendo of the case until it finally collapsed in its own emptiness, is a peripheral example of what the "grievance philosophy" has wrought on campus and within society in general. Fake crimes against "the man", and overlooking/excusing real crimes by the "aggrieved."

Universities spend huge amounts of money on ideological indoctrination--a type of "holy crusade" felt by many sinecured monkeys of academia to be the raison d'etre of university education.

This is not what Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle had in mind.

It is an absurd and disgraceful joke by academia upon academia. It is stunting the growth of a better society, and subverting the stratospheric dreams of our imaginations.

The Lure of the Sea, the Beyond

Catamarans provide faster speed, more usable space, and are more stable at sea than mono-hulls. The Nahema luxury catamaran series is one approach to cat design.

Using a catamaran design lets you more than triple the interior and deck space of the vessel compared to the same length monohull yacht...To be available in 120-foot and 150-foot versions, or 35 and 45 metres in the new money, the Nahema series of catamarans is the brainchild of H2X’s Gilles Vatan...

...Both versions will also operate as sailboats – and what the catamaran design might lack in sporty handling in the turns, it will make up for in good speed and an increased stability that will be appreciated by guests without the sea-legs for a more tumultuous ride.

Each yacht will be constructed according to customer specifications, leaving open all sorts of possibilities including helipads, on-deck spas, and other little luxuries...

gizmag

The catamaran design can be modified for many specific tasks besides luxury cruising. The "spider boat" cat in this article can be outfitted for trans-oceanic voyages, for military missions, for exploration, or for sport and racing. The design universe for catamarans has barely been explored.

Beyond the catamaran is the trimaran, tetramaran, and more complex multi-hull designs leading up to large floating islands (Aquarius) or floating seasteads. Most early seasteads will take advantage of more protected bays and waters. But as seasteads move out onto the high seas they will need to be built to withstand the steady pounding of sea swells, and occasional large storms and rogue waves.

Creating the ability to constructively dissipate massive amounts of wave energy will be a challenge for seastead designers for this millenium. Underwater mechanical designs that absorb and transform wave energy into electrical and other usable forms of energy, are needed. Turning the potential problem of destructive wave energy into an asset, will require intelligence and creativity--and a lot of serendipitous luck, no doubt. The same can be said for the problems of corrosion and accretion of sea life to hulls. Preventing seabirds from turning your seastead into a floating guano depot is another problem that might be turned to profit.

As humans move from forgiving land masses to the sea's surface, below the surface, and outside the Earth's atmosphere, human habitat design will require a lot more thought and ingenuity than is currently applied to the problem.

With an average global human IQ of 90, it is clear that the upward tail of the curve will be worked to the limit, on problems such as these--just a few of the design problems of human survival that will require high intelligence. Humans need to learn to live on, below, and above the surfaces of Earth's land and sea. The ability to do so safely will depend on significant improvements in human decision making and problem solving. If you are interested in seasteads, you may want to take a look at this video.

Augmentation of human intelligence through pharmaceuticals, genetic mods, technological prostheses and interfaces, will all be necessary, and more. Development and evolution of intelligent machines to assist human decision making and problem solving will also help in bridging the gap to the next level of human survival and prosperity.

Somewhere out there, is an asteroid or comet in an orbit bound to intersect Earth. Whether such a catastrophe will hit Earth before the next Ice Age, or whether a geological upheaval such as a massive series of volcanoes and quakes will first occur, is orthogonal to the obvious need to develop habitats and locales for human existence that broaden the likelihood for long term human survival and growth.

WingSuit Flying Just for the Thrill of It

This video is pretty startling. You may have to watch it 2 or 3 times before you actually believe it.


Hat tip Fat Knowledge

Would You Ride This Giant Slingshot?

Will this be the start of a new thrill sport? It reminds me of the old "human cannonball" circus attraction. Except with this human projectile, you absolutely must wear a parachute!

Will we soon have competing human slingshots, vying for the most altitude gain for a human "pebble?" G-forces may be the limiting factor.

One very cool stunt would be to ground launch with a giant catapult, then fly off on rocket wings.

Unusual Luxury Getaway Vehicles for Air and Sea

This luxury airship is a rigid design that gets 70% of its lift via helium and 30% of its lift from its unique wing design. It should perform better in bad weather than typical lighter than air ships, with better maneuverability.

The Aeroscraft ML866 is a buoyancy assisted air vehicle with a rigid structure and gas cells. It uses Aeros’ proprietary Full Authority Direct Organic Lift Control (FADOLC) - a dynamic buoyancy management system that provides the low speed control capability. While 70% of the aerodynamic lift comes from helium, the remaining 30% is derived from its innovative “wing” shape. As well as being able to hover the aircraft will be capable of speeds up to 138 mph (0-222 kmh) and will operate at altitudes of up to 12,000 ft (3,657 m). and the massive 210 ft (64 m) long by 118 ft (36 m) wide by 56 ft (17 m) high structure will deliver a roomy 5000+ square feet of cabin space.

Source

This floating habitat features multiple levels connected by spiral staircase. The lowest level features panoramic undersea views.

The top level is 5.6 metres above the sea level and has been kept for study rooms. The next lower level is situated at 3.5 metres above the sea level and contains the night time zone while the next lower level at 1.4 metres contains the daytime zone with a kitchen and bathrooms. The lowest living level at 0.8 metres above the sea level is semi-submerged and has been kept for the guest room, bathroom and technical spaces.

The acrylic viewport globe situated at -3.00 mts above the sea level allows the occupants conmplete enjoyment of the submarine world.

Source
Powered by solar panels, presumably the Jellyfish would have the ability to move about on the water's surface using either a tugboat or optional self-power, such as sail or electric motor.

Amphibious Flyer from Italy

The Ramphos amphibious flyer allows the adventurous-traveler-on-a-budget to explore coastlines of freshwater and saltwater bodies. Take off and land from either water or dry land. Put it up on a trailer for hauling longer distances.

It’s an amphibious flying boat that’s just as happy taking off and landing on water as on land with its retractable wheels. You can tow it around on a trailer, and like the best of late-night TV exercise equipment, it folds for easy storage. This purpose-built little 2-seater is effortlessly easy to fly, handles like a dream and offers a very affordable, practical and exhilarating way to explore the local lakes and coastlines with maximum thrills for minimum fuss.

The Ramphos is a slightly confused-looking air/land/sea vehicle – imagine a hang-glider that’s crashed into a boat with retractable wheels. This configuration may look odd, but it allows pilots the option of taking off and landing either on a nice flat runway or a body of water, opening up a lot of interesting sightseeing opportunities around the coastline and making it one of the most practical leisure vehicles around.

Takeoff from the water is a breeze – get up to about 30-40 knots and work the control bar forward and back to break free from the water surface. From standstill to airborne can take as little as 8 seconds in the right conditions and the Ramphos will launch in waves up to 50cm or so. Once in flight, it cruises at around 50 knots and the topless wing makes it stable and easy to fly. “Hands off and the Ramphos was completely stable,” noted Australian imported Rod Tyson, “the controls were precise and you don't need to be a gorilla to make the thing change from a right turn 45 degree bank to a 45 deg left bank.”

The landing gear doesn’t rely on any electronics – you simply pull on the brake lever to release a locking mechanism, and push the landing gear downward with a lever. Clear covered ports on the floor let you visually confirm the wheels are down and locked before they hit the ground. Landing on water is even easier than on a runway, allowing you the opportunity to drop the jaws of unwary locals as you swoop in from the sky, land in the water and drive straight up the beach.

SourceWith a little more time, we should soon have amphibious cars that fly. Add submersible functionality to that multi-purpose vehicle and I would almost have my ideal vehicle.

We All Live in a Yellow Submarine

Many people own luxury yachts and houseboats, but very few people own luxury submarines for living aboard. That is the way the world's militaries would like it to remain, but times are changing nonetheless.

US Submarines builds a variety of civilian subs for many purposes. Their most luxurious sub, priced at US $80 million, is the Phoenix 1000. Now that is a sub that almost anyone could live aboard. US Subs Seattle 1000 is smaller, costing only US$20 million.

The Integrity Subs model 68 also provides comfortable living conditions for a far lower cost, around US$ 5 million. Operational depth and range are more restricted than with the US Subs luxury submersible, however.

As the world sees more billionaires--particularly ones with a sense of adventure intact--you can expect to see them trying to outdo each other in adventure and luxury. This will take them places most people never go, such as the underseas, the high atmosphere, and into outer space.

Here is an interesting description of a US Submarines design for an "ambient pressure undersea habitat." Such habitats would not require special breathing gases nor decompression time. They would have to be designed differently than typical undersea habitats up until now, but the advantage of allowing untrained personnel to inhabit them would no doubt draw a large tourist crowd.

The undersea world contains many riches. Not nearly as many as the asteroid belt and the rest of the solar system, but then the undersea world is more accessible. It is likely that some of the billionaires who approach the submarine world as a novelty, may decide to invest there more seriously.

Hobie Makes a Kayak Trimaran With Pedal Propulsion

This nifty one-person sail kayak has trimaran stability and pedal/flipper drive. The outriggers are retractable and the sail is fully reefing.

The Hobie Mirage Adventure Island is a 16-foot, single-person “Sail/yak” that combines the Hobie MirageDrive pedal-propulsion system with a 5.38 square meter sail and two amas (outriggers) that provide stability on the water and fold back into the hull for docking and beaching.

The newest edition to the Hobie line-up has a mast height of 15’2” (4.62m), weighs 115lbs (52.16kg) when fully rigged and can carry 350lbs (159kg). With the amas extended the craft is 112” (2.84m) wide, reducing to 42” when folded.

....The Hobie MirageDrive system employed in the company’s range of kayaks is a pedal/flipper mechanism that swings laterally underneath the hull like a penguin's fins to produce forward drive. Steering is via a hand-controlled rudder that can be retracted to the horizontal when not in use.

Source
Check out this video from Hobie that demonstrates the sail-yak in action!

I'm looking forward to getting one of these fun toys in the surf and seeing how she handles.