As East Coast Editor, I was in every issue of Powerboat Magazine for 40 years. Although Powerboat ceased publication, my love of boats, and marine gadgets continues and you can find some unique and interesting products here. If you’re into Performance Boating Jason Johnson and Matt Trulio of Powerboat Magazine carry on with news for the go-fast set with their web based http://www.speedonthewater.com/.
“Hey, Captain!! Your boat isn’t touching the water!!!! Slow Down!!!
Hydrofoils are nothing new, but this is claimed to be the world’s first totally electric hydrofoil! It’s the Candela C-8 with a fully retractable C-FOIL system. This sleek electric computer controlled hydrofoil is 28 feet long and can accommodate 8 people. The top speed is 30 knots, and it has a range of about 57 miles at 20 knots. The hydrofoil system reduces water friction by 80%. So you fly above the surface of waves with no bouncing or rolling and no engine noise or harmful emissions. It’s a100% carbon fiber hull which reduces the overweight. In shallow mode, the foils and Candela C-POD are protected by the hull. In extreme weather conditions that prevent foiling, it can be driven as a conventional boat, but that of course will mean a reduced range. There are several consumer versions with many options. The base price starts at $390,000.
The Giz Wiz is an avid boater!
UPDATE 10/22/22 – The boating scene I was involved in for about 50 years has made a drastic change. The West 79th Street Boat Basin closed at the end of October, 2021. It sits there abandoned for now, with talk of a new marina being built starting some time in 2023 and maybe opening in 2025 or later. Since the nearest marina by public transportation is 90 minutes in each direction, I sold my beloved Farallon boat. Fortunately the man who purchased it loves Farallon boats and was very excited to own one!
Now back to the original posts.
Living right in mid-Manhattan, Dick’s never owned a car in his life, but he has owned 26 boats! At one time he owned 5 boats, but that got a little expensive, so he whittled it down to three. These days he’s happy with just one – a 23′ Farallon shown above! It’s more like a commercial workboat with a completely enclosed cabin and it’s in the water year-round. It’s powered with a four-stroke 250 HP Yamaha outboard.
For 42 years Dick wrote a column for Powerboat Magazine reporting on new boats, new engines, and his favorite, new boating gadgets and gizmos. Powerboat ceased publication in February 2012, so Dick continued to write about marine gadgets online.
If you’d like to take a live look out the back window of my boat, here’s the view from my onboard live Dropcam! It’s on 24/7, but with the rolling waves from passing tugs, sightseeing boats, etc. it does go off from time to time. In the warm weather the camera faces outward, but in winter this is the view I need. https://video.nest.com/live/dP89KuVKCw
MOST WATCHED DROPCAM OF THE DAY: The folks at Dropcam sent me an email during hurricane Katrina (2005) to tell me more than 55,000 people had watched the hurricane whipping up the Hudson River through my Dropcam! (They do the hosting, so they would know the numbers.)
My Farallon is powered by a 250 hp Yamaha four-stroke outboard. The best top speed when the boat was new and kind of gadget free was 44.2 mph. With my 2017 Yamaha 4 stroke 4.2 Liter outboard, my Farallon once again has a top speed of 44.2 mph even with everything we’ve put aboard for the past 15 years!
DickDe’s Workboat Has Been on ABC’s World News Now Quite A Few Times.
Last Fall I got gas 4 my Farallon “as seen on TV” work boat. Unfortunately, I didn’t get there early enough to get the new Pumpkin-Spice fuel blend, so got regular ValvTect gas. I’ll go earlier next year.
New Marina Coming to West 79th Street (Hudson River)
Does that big barge make my boat look small? It’s the workboat on the right. Fortunately, I have no trips planned for now. The barge is there to get ‘core samples’ of what’s down deep. It’s part of the process of building a new marina at 79th Street, NYC. Construction is expected to start late 2021 or early 2022.
UPDATE: Construction is now expected to start in 2023
World’s First Hydrofoil Bike!
Who needs a hydrofoil bike? I’m not sure, but when the guys from Manta5 put a video of their hydrofoil bike online they told me it went virtual very fast with 350 million views on Facebook! Interested too? Here’s the info. The Manta5 Hydrofoiler XE-1, world’s first production hydrofoil bike launched in the U.S. at CES2020. Using the same technology as America’s Cup sailboats it’s the first bike of its kind to replicate the cycling experience on water. The Hydrofoiler redefines cycling and watersports by enabling riders to launch and plane through open bodies of water — from ocean shorelines to lakes and rivers. (I asked about rough water and the spokesperson said you really don’t want to venture out into big waves.) Cyclists can reach speeds of up to 12 mph, comparable to the speed of traditional sailboats. The bikes are made from strong carbon fiber and aircraft-grade aluminum, making them buoyant and light enough to carry. Some Key Specs: Up to 60 minutes of riding time. IP68 waterproof battery. 460 watt-electric motor. Aircraft-grade aluminum frame and carbon fiber hydrofoils. 63 pounds (including foils and battery) 12 mph (11 knots) maximum speed ? U.S. MSRP $7,495 (excluding taxes and shipping). Preorder reservations are currently available for a 50% deposit. (In the video, the spokesperson says 10% deposit, but you can check it out on their website:
All the information on this website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability and accuracy of this information. Any action you take upon the information on our website is strictly at your own risk. We are not liable for any losses and damages in connection with the use of our website.
From our website, you can visit other websites by following hyperlinks to these sites. While we strive to provide only links to useful and ethical websites, we have no control over the content and nature of these sites and the links to other websites do not imply a recommendation for all the content found on these sites. Please also be aware that when you leave our website, other sites may have different privacy policies and terms which are beyond our control.
Known as MAD’s Maddest Writer, co-host of The Giz Wiz with OMGchad at www.GizWiz.TV, The Giz Wiz on ABC’s World News Now, and on Tech Guy Labs with Leo Laporte on www.TWiT.TV.
