Innovations That Will Change the Game

Driverless Boats

Yup, believe it or not, there are several versions out there now, including the RIB shown above, developed by BAE Systems and tested near Portsmouth Naval Base, on England’s southern coast, late last year. Reportedly, driverless RIBs like this one will be used for high-speed exploration (in excess of 38 knots) and remote surveillance by the British military. The robust little vessels will be capable of running planned routes or be governed by operators in remote locations.

3-D Printers

These increasingly popular devices are being used by a growing number of manufacturers these days, and it’s likely that they’ll serve boatbuilders of the future in new and exciting ways. Indeed, designers at Carver Yachts used 3-D printers to develop the stylish good looks of their most recently developed series of coupes and flying-bridge motoryachts.

All-Electric Ships

Just a few short months ago, Florida State University’s Center for Advanced Power Systems was awarded a five-year, $35 million grant from the Office of Naval Research to bring together numerous researchers (among them representatives from MIT, Purdue University, and Virginia Tech) to design and develop the Navy’s first large, fully electric ship. One area of research and development that’s likely to benefit greatly is battery technology. So you thought the Toyota Prius had a highly sophisticated lithium-ion powerpack? Just imagine the level of battery sophistication that something the size of the USS Zumwalt will require. And just imagine the level of technology that may trickle down to the average recreational boater!

Rim-Driven Bow and Stern Thrusters

Rim-drive thrusters appeared on the recreational boating scene this year with the introduction of the Bertram 35, and we’re likely to see more of them, on a variety of boats great and small, in 2017. The advantages are simplicity, compact installation, and— best of all—noise levels that are exceptionally low.

Natural Gas Propulsion

Two yeas ago, Intrepid Powerboats introduced a vessel with a hybrid powerplant capable of running on either gasoline or natural gas—an operator could switch between the two fuels at any speed or time. Why will we see more natural-gas applications on boats in the coming year, particularly if the price of gasoline goes up? Natural gas is considerably more efficient than gasoline, and it costs a whole heck of a lot less. —Capt. Bill Pike