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Spider-Like Catamaran Travels 5,000 Miles On One Tank

Lucas123 writes "Proteus, a Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel that looks like a spider, is so fuel efficient that it can travel 5,000 miles on one load of diesel fuel. The 100-foot-long, 50-foot-wide boat rides on metal and fabric pontoons that have hinges and shock absorbers to flex with the motion of the waves, which helps it to skim over the water at a max speed of 30 knots. It made its debut yesterday in New York harbor."

21 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. A PROTESS ship in New York Harbor? by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 4, Funny

    A PROTESS ship in New York Harbor? Surely, the Zerg can't be far behind...

    1. Re:A PROTESS ship in New York Harbor? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      A PROTESS ship

      Your geek badge has been revoked. Please hand it over to the receptionist on your way out.
  2. Re:Yeah but, by orson_of_fort_worth · · Score: 3, Funny

    325,000 gallons

  3. Big deal! by the_humeister · · Score: 5, Funny

    My sailboat (and galley of rowing slaves) can travel an infinite number of miles on a tank of diesel!

    1. Re:Big deal! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      You're lucky, most ships have to stop halfway to refuel and take a fast food break.

      Cause y'know, there's gas stations in the middle of the atlantic . . .

  4. Re:Miles per gallon? by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 4, Funny

    Does anyone know the number of miles per gallon that this gets I read the article and it didn't seem to mention that. Maybe they should go with the super lightweight idea with cars instead of big blocks of metal with wheels... yes Hummer I'm talking about you.
    YMMV
    --
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  5. 7 loads = 1 shitload by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    7 loads = 1 shitload

    That help?

    1. Re:7 loads = 1 shitload by enrevanche · · Score: 4, Funny

      a metric shitload is 10 loads

  6. I mis-read that as a caravan of spiders.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I mis-read that as a caravan of spiders.. hitching a ride on a military tank for 5000 miles.

  7. Re:Absolutely useless reporting by jdray · · Score: 4, Funny

    How big is "a load" of diesel?

    It can carry a shipload of the stuff.

    --
    The Spoon
    Updated 6/28/2011
  8. no, it is not more efficient by someone1234 · · Score: 4, Funny

    That model requires liberal amounts of rum.

    --
    Patents Drive Free Software as Hurricanes Drive Construction Industry
  9. Re:Absolutely useless reporting by vux984 · · Score: 4, Funny

    it will work great as long as you don't mind being ripped into your component particles and then having 50% of them left behind in the process

    Oh, so its a weight loss program too? Gad, is there anything quantum physics can't do!!!11

  10. Recent, More Efficient Invention by aldheorte · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ship builders around the world have recently stumbled upon an amazingly efficient design for ocean travel. The breakthrough came when builders realized they could put large poles on the middle mass of a boat. This gave them a platform on which to mount large sheets of material. At first decorative in nature, on some trial runs, the first users reported that some mysterious force was moving the boat even when the engines were off!

    A crack team of scientists determined that this force was a result of changing relative atmospheric pressures resulting in a large amount of mostly nitrogen gas moving in one direction or the other. When they encountered the sheets of material builders had mounted on the boat poles, they exerted pressure on them in parallel with the direction of flow. As a result, ships tended to move in that direction, subject to hull shape. Some very enterprising inventors have recently created sheets of materials and ways of attaching them to the poles that allows ships with oblong hull shapes to even move *towards* the direction of the flow, albeit with some zig zagging back and forth.

    This revelation is even more astonishing in light of estimates on efficiency. Apparently, ships built in this manner can go virtually an unlimited distance entirely by using these flows. In fact, the limits of their range are basically the decay rate of the materials employed for the flow catch sheets. We are truly in a new age that will allow worldwide commerce, exploration, and research.

    1. Re:Recent, More Efficient Invention by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Oh great, another free energy loon. Go play with you fantasy over-unity device.

    2. Re:Recent, More Efficient Invention by DocSavage64109 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Good point. If we *all* switched over to wind power, it could slow the wind to the point that clouds that form over the oceans and lakes never make it over land, thus causing rivers to dry up and rain to never fall on land. It would be a devastating disaster!!! I am so glad we have these fossil fuels to burn instead.

  11. Re:baptism by datapharmer · · Score: 2, Funny

    Baptism - Is this some new linux distro I haven't heard of?

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  12. Re:After a long time, I'm proud of the USA by Noodlenose · · Score: 3, Funny
    ...I am happy I am American once again.


    boy, are you easy to please.

  13. conversion please? by commodoresloat · · Score: 5, Funny

    How much is that in Libraries of Congress?

  14. Re:baptism by nacturation · · Score: 4, Funny

    Baptism - Is this some new linux distro I haven't heard of? You're thinking of Baptix (Avid Aqua release), but this was later made obselete by Crucifix (Rusty Rail release) which managed to nail down a good balance of features.
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  15. Re:Bzzzt... *Maybe* 4000 gallons by Rauser · · Score: 4, Funny

    They're nautical gallons.

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  16. Columbus set the MPG record by Ancient_Hacker · · Score: 3, Funny

    Columbus got over 2,000 miles per galleon.....