Marine

Inflatable 2-story e-catamaran party lounge packs down into car trunk

Inflatable 2-story e-catamaran party lounge packs down into car trunk
Chilling out on the Portless Catamaran Deluxe for a day of fun in the sun
Chilling out on the Portless Catamaran Deluxe for a day of fun in the sun
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Enjoying a family outing in the Portless Catamaran
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Enjoying a family outing in the Portless Catamaran
The Portless Catamaran includes front and rear bumpers to prevent passengers from sliding off the level main deck
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The Portless Catamaran includes front and rear bumpers to prevent passengers from sliding off the level main deck
The roof is designed to hold up to 350 lb, allowing passengers to climb up and hang out, sunbathe, dive, leap into the water, etc.
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The roof is designed to hold up to 350 lb, allowing passengers to climb up and hang out, sunbathe, dive, leap into the water, etc.
The larger Portless Catamaran Deluxe and standard model team into a party island
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The larger Portless Catamaran Deluxe and standard model team into a party island
Taking advantage of the upper deck for some leaping selfie fun
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Taking advantage of the upper deck for some leaping selfie fun
Chilling out on the Portless Catamaran Deluxe for a day of fun in the sun
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Chilling out on the Portless Catamaran Deluxe for a day of fun in the sun
The modest 1-kW Epropulsion Spirit 1.0 can be enough to propel the Portless Catamaran around all day, assuming the upper deck solar panel is pulling in enough light
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The modest 1-kW Epropulsion Spirit 1.0 can be enough to propel the Portless Catamaran around all day, assuming the upper deck solar panel is pulling in enough light
Enjoying the light show
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Enjoying the light show
The Portless Catamaran includes D-rings for mooring
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The Portless Catamaran includes D-rings for mooring
The Portless Catamaran Deluxe and Portless Catamaran pose with DDD's third product: the €1,590 Portless Beach inflatable swimming/sunbathing platform
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The Portless Catamaran Deluxe and Portless Catamaran pose with DDD's third product: the €1,590 Portless Beach inflatable swimming/sunbathing platform
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A watercraft quite unlike others, the Portless Catamaran is a large inflatable that packs small enough to ride to the water inside a motor vehicle. At water's edge, it quickly inflates into a dual-deck cruiser and lounge propelled along cleanly and quietly by a small electric outboard powered with help from a flexible solar panel. It invites water lovers to leave the headaches of the marina, off-season dry storage and boat trailers in the past and enjoy long days on the water atop a fun, simple, stable electric vessel.

A product of Hungary's DDD Manufaktúra, which also has an office in Germany, the Portless Catamaran relies on the type of sturdy drop-stitch hull construction used for inflatable paddleboards. At 265 lb (120 kg) all packed up, it'll take a few people to carry, but it's designed to store inside the trunk of a larger vehicle, making transport easier than with solid-hulled catamarans.

At the water, the Portless Catamaran inflates into an impressive 14.8-foot (4.5-m) cat with upper and lower decks designed to accommodate a total of six people. It's meant to go from car trunk to water launch in as little as 10 minutes.

Enjoying a family outing in the Portless Catamaran
Enjoying a family outing in the Portless Catamaran

The Portless Catamaran offers 97 sq ft (9 sq m) of space on the main deck, which benefits from the shade of the upper deck, and 32 sq ft (3 sq m) of upper deck space for sunbathing, observation and leaping into the water. The upper deck can hold up to 350 lb (160 kg) and is accessed via ladder-like steps built into the inner side wall.

The Portless Catamaran comes powered by a 1-kW Epropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus electric outboard motor with 1.3-kWh lithium-polymer battery. DDD estimates range at 16 nautical miles (30 km) but says that with enough sunshine the 200-W solar panel can keep the vessel moving for an entire day at about 4 knots (7 km/h). Either way, the Portless Catamaran seems far better suited to hanging out in one place atop the water than it does to motoring over any kind of distance. An integrated display shows remaining battery power and other key info.

The modest 1-kW Epropulsion Spirit 1.0 can be enough to propel the Portless Catamaran around all day, assuming the upper deck solar panel is pulling in enough light
The modest 1-kW Epropulsion Spirit 1.0 can be enough to propel the Portless Catamaran around all day, assuming the upper deck solar panel is pulling in enough light

The Portless Catamaran is available in two versions. The standard version features a single-piece body designed for the easiest, quickest inflation, while the second breaks down into four individual pieces that zip together. The latter takes an extra five to 10 minutes of estimated setup time but cuts the weight of each piece down to approximately 66 lb (30 kg), making it easier to carry and manage.

Prices start at €11,920 (approx. US$12,375) for the single-piece Portless Catamaran and €12,620 (US$13,100) for the four-piece version. Those prices include an electric pump and swimming ladder. Buyers can upgrade with a few available options, such as a more powerful 3-kW e-drive and a steering wheel.

The larger Portless Catamaran Deluxe and standard model team into a party island
The larger Portless Catamaran Deluxe and standard model team into a party island

Portless also offers the 19.7-foot (6-m) Catamaran Deluxe, the striped eight-person model pictured in some of the photos, for €22,900 ($23,750). The Deluxe includes a standard steering wheel with two seats. Portless makes no mention of that one fitting in a car, and at 772 lb (350 kg), it'll be considerably more difficult to transport and handle.

The first sub-minute video below shows a quiet family outing in the six-person Portless Catamaran, and the second makes good on the promise of roof-diving, bikini-clad six- and eight-person cat adventure made by some of the photos.

Portless -14 elektromos katamarán - Családi program a vizen
Portless Catamaran - próbáld ki te is

Source: DDD Manufaktúra (German)

View gallery - 10 images
8 comments
8 comments
Uncle Anonymous
It's all fun and games until you get too close to some underwater rocks you didn't see, and the hull is sliced open...
Nobody
Better have a good anchor and rope. Enough wind and this will make a nice kite.
Daveb
If that was my outing, I’d spend the whole day freaking out about the nightmare chore waiting for me at the end of the day, of folding it all back up again and putting it in the trunk of my car. Inflatable kayak was bad enough!
Tech Fascinated
Amazing how people keep innovating. This looks like a fun and practical water toy for those who don't have a big truck to haul a bulky and heavy pontoon boat. I wonder how it fares in waves and wind though.
mark34
A 1kW propulsion system will be no match for anything more than a very light breeze. The tall vertical surfaces will result in an uncontrollable vessel that is at the mercy of the wind. Have the rescue boats ready. Also, not a life-preserver in sight in any of the promo videos.
SteveMc
It’s essentially a remodelled bouncy castle with some added metal, glass and wood(/) to make sure it has a much better chance of killing you or others when a gust of wind catches it. This is for use in large open expanses of water, where the wind works best of all. A disaster waiting to happen. I seriously doubt this design would pass health and safety certification anywhere other than third world, where regulation of this kind doesn’t exist.
Rick O
Cool idea, but that's a lot of cash for a raft with a trolling motor
TomLeeM
I think that is really cool looking. It reminds me of another inflatable boat; a catamaran.