Hovercraft

[oceanblue123]

Hello

Just wondering about getting a hovercraft, for about the same price as a used powerboat I can get a new hovercraft and just wondering what people think.

Would most marinas be fine with me berthing a hovercraft there? I assume there would be no issue?

My concern is the company I am looking at makes them in lengths up to 10m for their largest size and I would be looking at a 7-8m hovercraft.

I am thinking that it is less length than the 30-40ft typically considered to be the minimum size needed.

They seem good to me as they float no matter what and have little resistance over a surface but I am not sure if they could take oceangoing.

I would need to coat the engine is marine paint, can I use marine paint on a regular hovercraft engine?

Thanks

[ontherocks83]

Well the wind and noise might piss a few people off at the marina

[oceanblue123]

More so than the wake and noise of a powerboat? I would only be berthing and leaving, not staying there with the engines running

[a64pilot]

This has to be a joke, right?
You have never been around one?
They or at least the US Navy ones are never left in the water, awfully sure those skirts etc are not anti fouled, they are driven up a boat ramp and left on land
Then they are about as quiet as an airboat or hovering helicopter, maneuver worse than any full keel boat and blow wind and water all over the place.
Maintenance must be incredible, and fuel consumption also must be incredible

[Sailmonkey]

I’m betting you’ve never seen a hovercraft in person if you can’t imagine how it could be any different than a powerboat!

As for the engine, you’ll need “special” hovercraft engine paint.

[oceanblue123]

Cheers for the wiseguy responses, you are correct, the skirts are not anti fouled, they are removeable though and they float without the skirts so why not leave it berthed?

I have heard of someone living in one from someone I know and they had it in the water.

What has noise got to do with anything? Are jetskis quiet? What about v8s? People still enjoy them right?

As for the next response, yes, actually, England to France when they were transporting people.
Don't speak to me as though I am stupid as I am sure that you two are too bright either, take your hovercraft paint and drink it, I just asked one question about painting it with marine paint and I want an answer from someone who might have experience.

[Sailmonkey]

A hovercraft isn’t a jet ski, it’s more like a helicopter. I can’t imagine any marina being pleased with that sort of vessel blasting their other tenants with wind and spray. I can’t say I’d be pleased with one sharing a finger pier with me.

As far as painting the engine.....who the hell knows. Is the engine air-cooled? Then paint is a bad idea. If it’s just some other engine, liquid cooled, then paint away.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by oceanblue123

Hello

Just wondering about getting a hovercraft, for about the same price as a used powerboat I can get a new hovercraft and just wondering what people think.

Would most marinas be fine with me berthing a hovercraft there? I assume there would be no issue?

My concern is the company I am looking at makes them in lengths up to 10m for their largest size and I would be looking at a 7-8m hovercraft.

I am thinking that it is less length than the 30-40ft typically considered to be the minimum size needed.

They seem good to me as they float no matter what and have little resistance over a surface but I am not sure if they could take oceangoing.

I would need to coat the engine is marine paint, can I use marine paint on a regular hovercraft engine?

Thanks

Your best bet would be to contact marinas in your area and ask them.

Storing out of the water would be a better option though. Maybe you could fit it on a custom trailer? Storing in water is generally expensive and harder on the boat in terms of marine growth and corrosion.

[HopCar]

I drove a little hovercraft one time. Kind of like a jet ski that doesn’t want to change direction.

I think a hovercraft is a great idea. If you need to take it to the dealer for service, you don’t need a trailer. Just drive it up the ramp and down the road to the dealer.

I’d put outriggers on it so I could troll for billfish.

[oceanblue123]

Fair enough, I will contact marinas and ask, I hope I can store it there, otherwise I would need a large trailer and a 4x4.

I am looking at "Christy" hovercraft and I would go for a diesel engine most likely, so it would be water cooled. Just want to make sure it is a hard and fast rule that I can use marine paint.

I can understand marine growth but it is fiberglass and polycarbonate so it won't corrode or rust.


They do steer quite vaguely but they look fun.
Unfortunately here in England you can't drive them on roads, that said, easy access into and out of water when needed to be in or out.

Not sure if the outriggers would be possible what with the skirt.

I like the idea of seeing Caribbean islands and being able to simply get onto the shore and park it, it would be nice for visiting the smaller wilder islands.

[Pete7]

Perhaps take a trip down to Lee on Solent to the hovercraft museum to see how they paint their engines.

https://www.hovercraft-museum.org/

You could also ask about the fuel requirements for a trip to the Caribbean. They should be able to work it out for you.

Pete

[a64pilot]

I‘ve only seen one or two hovercraft as they are quite rare. Smaller ones were looked at, at one time for rescue vehicles.
So I’ve seen a two man one, and the ones the Navy has at Panama City Fl.
Both at a distance where you couldn’t even see it, it being around a corner of a river or something sounded for all the world like an aircraft crashing, except the small one, it had twin two cycle engines, and sounds like chainsaws mating, or maybe two ultralights in formation.
They are loud enough so that you must wear heading protection to operate one or you will get hearing damage.
I believe that they are a Brit invention, so maybe the Brits have made advances and have some that are quiet as a power boat, but I doubt it.

There are V8 engines, like in Cadillacs, and there are V8’s like at the drag strip.
Guess which V8 a hover craft sounds like?

[Sailmonkey]

Well, you’re not going to cover any vast distances in one.

I just randomly grabbed a sizable one.



You’ve got a 250 mile range, and two engines to maintain.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by HopCar

I drove a little hovercraft one time. Kind of like a jet ski that doesn’t want to change direction.

I think a hovercraft is a great idea. If you need to take it to the dealer for service, you don’t need a trailer. Just drive it up the ramp and down the road to the dealer.

I’d put outriggers on it so I could troll for billfish.

I saw what you did there!

[StuM]

Originally Posted by oceanblue123

I like the idea of seeing Caribbean islands and being able to simply get onto the shore and park it, it would be nice for visiting the smaller wilder islands.

If you take it ashore, it will be classed as a vehicle, not a boat - you'll probably need to import and register it and every Caribbean nation will have different rules.


You will probably get more definitive answers if you ask over at Sailing Anarchy.