Marine

On the 400th anniversary of the start of an epic voyage from England to the New World aboard the Mayflower, an autonomous, solar-powered marine research vessel is due to launch on a mission to gather environmental data about the ocean.

This concept ship, due to sail in 2024, can carry 7,000 cars across the Atlantic in 12 days. It's some 50% slower on average than a comparable diesel ship, but burns next to no fuel thanks to its five colossal wing sails, saving money and emissions.

If you want a kayak (that isn't inflatable), you typically also need a car with a suitable roof rack. German product designer Daniel Schult has come with an alternative, however, in the form of a folding kayak that can be carried like a backpack.

The Jet Capsule isn't an ugly duckling by any means, but designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini imagines a beautiful swan with the Avanguardia. The mega-yacht would feature a small watercraft that would serve as a removable cockpit in this ambitious project.

After focusing on speed with the launch of the Leisure 28 Electric in March, Rand has opted to take things a little easier for its latest model. The Mana 23 offers displacement cruising for 10 passengers at 5 knots for up to 100 nautical miles.

New Zealand boatbuilding company Sealegs has graced our pages with a long line of interesting amphibious watercraft over the past decade and a half, but none with the footprint of the forthcoming 12m Cabin RIB.

More than once, we've seen an "SUV of the high seas," and Officina Armare has a new interpretation. The 60-foot (18.3-m) Aquanaut leaves 4WD on land in favor of dual-hull navigation, bringing along more toys than an SUV ever could ever handle.

Nemesis Yachts has put forward a blue-sky vision for a super-fast, hydrogen-powered, autonomous luxury catamaran that can rise out of the water on hydrofoils to achieve crazy speeds over 50 knots. Oh, and you can swap this 300-footer's cabins out.

More than 10 years ago, François-Alexandre Bertrand came up with a concept for a novel above/below watercraft named the Platypus. The first Blue Ocean edition was sold last year and now his company has launched a new version, the Platypus Swordfish.

Electric boats could soon be getting even quieter and more maneuverable, according to Yahama. The company's new Harmo steering and propulsion system is promised to deliver on both counts.

Fabien Cousteau, grandson of famed underwater filmmaker and scuba co-inventor Jacques Cousteau, is planning to build an underwater living habitat and research station three times the size of any ever built, named after the grandson of Poseidon.

Light on the sea and striking to the eye, the new 82 from Mazu Yachts emerges from cutting-edge tech combined with modern styling. Its carbon-composite hull lays the foundation for a deckhouse built from glass so sturdy it is actually bulletproof.