We have seen kayaks and foldable canoes out there several times, but motorboats? Nothing at all: if the AquaNaut 270 reaches production, that changes.
Designed by the Texan engineer Roland Heersink, the AquaNaut foldable electric motorboat takes the form of two canoe-like hulls that are joined together side by side via two aluminum crossbars.
AquaNaut's platforms accommodate two passengers inside each hull. A platform in the space between the hulls serves as a stowage space or bench for a single passenger. A user-supplied electric motor is mounted on the rear beam.
AquaNaut: ready in 10 minutes and without tools
The hulls are made from 4mm UHPDE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) pre-folded and fold in place. The foldable electric speedboat shrinks to 3 inches (76mm) thick once the support cross bars are removed. Each of them reportedly weighs 36 pounds (16 kg) and together they can handle a payload of up to 650 pounds (295 kg), in other words four adults of average weight.
According to Heersink, the entire AquaNaut can be assembled or folded up within 10 minutes without tools. In the "unfolded" state, it measures 2,7 m (8 ft 10 in) in length and 2,1 m (7 ft) in diameter. Its maximum speed, needless to say, is determined by the size of the engine used.
