Interesting new concept in boating...
 

Would be interested to see this in heavier seas...
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf-oDuFKaH8

I wonder if it's one of those things that worked great in the lab, but....

I hope the front doesnt fall off... :hmm:

Looks interesting. Wonder how massive the skeleton would have to be to be able to carry 10,000 TEU's.

I just noticed that the pontoon floaters were flexible so they could contour to the motions of the waves. Quite an innovative design. Still, I have my doubts that it would function well in rough seas... if at all. Your legs that hold the floaters on would probably rip off from stress, assuming they aren't flexible.:smug:

I dont get it. How is a pontoon style catamaran a 'new' concept?

From their website: The wave adaptive technology is what makes it a 'new' concept. I alos feel this is where it will likely be an engineering headache in heavy seas.

aaaaahhhh, TJ can go first.:lol: Looks like it would rip apart after a while of the steel holding it together and being stressed.:hmm:

I don't think cargo carrying is anywhere in that thing's future. With that kind of waterline area, can you imagine the increase in draft as she loads? Looks great for a small boat, but I'd be really surprised if they made cargo carrying commercial vessels.

On a kind of similar note....do all life type rafts have the people exposed to the elements...why are they not made to inflate in a type of enclosed big ball or something so that in rough seas or whatever it could or would just roll around and keep the people inside dry at least...if not killing them by rolling around or something lol...maybe they are already sufficent they way they are now?..am I just thinking like in the movies where you see people totally exposed to sun for days and days drying out like prunes...seems like they could incorporate some type of moisture catch to supply the floater with at least fresh water...or am I thinking too much like 'Dune" and the desert suits lol...
:lost:

SOLAS approved liferafts must have a canopy, which must be fitted with some sort of rain catching funnel. It has a name, but I can't remember at the time. Ferries and some smaller vessels might be fitted with inflatable platform type liferafts, wich don't have canopies.

Non enclosed life boats must be supplied with a canopy, and the necessary implements to rig it. Usually, tho, the rods are corroded five ways to ****. But then, enclosed life boats are the rule on new buildings anyway.

It's also pretty easy to right an overturned life raft. It does involve going in the water, but then if the life raft's flipped, you're in the water. Life rafts also have "Ballast bags" that will essentially keep them right side up unless something that you'll tell your grandkids about happens.

Survival capsules also exist that are completly enclosed, that can flip every which way and stay afloat. They haven't caught on so much outside of the commercial fishing community, but I have seen concept for commercial vessel sized units. I'm skeptical, but that might change.

No way I'm getting aboard until I see some sea trials in nasty weather. My guess is it will get pretty messed up in wild sea, although these guys are touting it as a potential rescue vessel!

Also they say it needs to scale up significantly to become ocean going!:o

On the lifeboat side of things, depending on the configuration of the changeble cetnre module it can be a boat in it's own right so if the pontoons fail I presume you are already in a life boat.

I just remembered that russians had plans to build some sort of ocean train for Northern Sea Route shipping lane. Sort of long chain of enclosed barges attached to an icebreaker, but it really looked similar to a modern high speed passenger train. Must have had wave adaptive properties.