Boat

It's so difficult to maintain one's individualism these days. Car-boats, once at the top of the 007 cool meter, are hardly unique anymore. But there's still hope: Enter the "Flying Boat" from Brazil-based BRio.

It comes as a kit, which might seem kind of expensive at $10,000, especially because Gearfuse says the cost doesn't include the engine. Still, it's a fraction of what one of those new jet packs will set you back, and it promises to stay airborne longer than a minute.

Best of all, if the flying mechanism fails, you … Read more

The whole point of a kayak is that it goes really slowly and your arms hurt a lot. At least that's what I always thought. A "PowerKayak" that operates on a 9.5-horsepower engine and tops out at 25 miles per hour is not really a kayak.

I'll admit, it's cool (anything motorized generally is). But it's a $2899 banana-shaped water-cruising vehicle that sharks will probably mistake for a seal from the underside (apparently sharks mistake a lot of things for seals from the underside). Plus, the guy riding around in it in the … Read more

If there's one childhood gadget fantasy that's endured through adulthood, it would be the car boat. But the few we've always seen have looked too weird to ever drive on the road, kind of like a canoe with wheels. U.K.-based Gibbs Technologies, however, has one that looks convincing on both land and sea.

Not only that, but Popular Mechanics says the "Aquada" has a 175-horsepower engine that can reach 100 mph on the road. Then, in less than 13 seconds, the amphibious wonder can retract its the wheels and switch to water-jet propulsion, … Read more

Earthrace, a novel-looking boat that's trying to circumnavigate the globe on biodiesel and set a record, is apparently back on track.

The group set sail from Barbados on March 10 with a goal of getting around the world in less than 75 days. Unfortunately, a series of snags in Central America slowed it down. Engine problems grounded it in Palau last month. The record became impossible to achieve.

Captain Peter Bethune, however, isn't giving up. Instead, he's re-starting the voyage, and taking San Diego as its starting and finishing point.

"If we continue our current pace, … Read more

Boating enthusiasts, like people in general, come in all types. Some crave speed, others want strength--and then there are those like us, who would just as soon have a boat that drove itself, out of sheer laziness.

That's why we think the "Sealegs" sounds like the perfect seagoing vehicle. Although it's described as "the world's most advanced amphibian," Gizmag says the inflatable boat is just as notable for its ease of use: "The Sealegs takes the entire process of launching and docking a boat out of the equation--just get in, drive … Read more

I sometimes have a penchant for posting about odd little vehicles on Crave, like motorized bathtubs and pirate ship pool toys. Some of the time, they tragically aren't big enough to fit grown-ups (no matter how youthful our attitudes may be). This $99.99 Bumper Boat is no exception. It's basically an inflatable pool chair that happens to have a motor and steering equipment attached so that you can chase people around and smack into your friends--but it's kid-sized. Most of us would probably sink it, unfortunately.

It's also not very functional, aside from the motor. … Read more

There have been more than a few boats running on solar power that have made headlines, but we shouldn't forget that some plain-old electric vessels are plying the waters as well. And one in particular bears a name that's legendary in the world of private transportation, albeit not aquatic.

The "Lear 204" is the product of a partnership between boat builder Terry Baylor and his wife, Shanda Lear, whose father happens to be the founder of Learjet. Their 20.4-foot vessel, which runs on an electric motor, can do about 6 miles per hour and last … Read more

Summer's coming, which means that this year's arsenal of outdoors-oriented kiddie toys is already being rolled out. And, as we've already seen, pirate-themed pool toys are going to be huge this year. (At the root of this trend, naturally, is the impending final installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, as well as Steve Jobs' anti-DRM vendetta--a high point for the other kind of pirate.) The latest in pirate fun is the Jolly Roger PT400, an inflatable pirate ship that comes with a squirt gun and two "cannonballs" to go in its built-in catapult.… Read more

If you spent your days singing "Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me" way before Keira Knightley made it cool, this might be the ultimate pool toy for you. This $330 remote-control pirate ship, which comes with a fully watertight hull, is "faithfully detailed to resemble an 18th-century merchant vessel," according to the product page. Plus, it can be controlled from up to 500 feet away, which means that you can chart its course from the comfort of your pirate loft, or even from the kitchen while you're heating up some Jolly Roger toast. … Read more