Marine

Transporter goes from box to boat in 10 minutes

Transporter goes from box to boat in 10 minutes
The Transporter is a boat that can be stored and transported in the form of a box
The Transporter is a boat that can be stored and transported in the form of a box
View 13 Images
The Transporter is a boat that can be stored and transported in the form of a box
1/13
The Transporter is a boat that can be stored and transported in the form of a box
The Transporter is sufficiently stable that passengers sitting on its pontoons won't cause it to tip
2/13
The Transporter is sufficiently stable that passengers sitting on its pontoons won't cause it to tip
When folded down into its passenger compartment, the stowed boat measures 3 x 4 feet x 20 inches (91 x 122 x 51 cm)
3/13
When folded down into its passenger compartment, the stowed boat measures 3 x 4 feet x 20 inches (91 x 122 x 51 cm)
The Transporter on the back of a quad
4/13
The Transporter on the back of a quad
The Transporter in the back of a truck
5/13
The Transporter in the back of a truck
The Transporter can be strapped onto a car-top carrier
6/13
The Transporter can be strapped onto a car-top carrier
7/13
8/13
9/13
10/13
11/13
12/13
13/13
View gallery - 13 images

Thanks to modern technology, we currently live in the age of smartphones, autonomous robots, satellite navigation, and ... foldable boats? Well, that’s certainly what it looks like. Just within the past couple of years, we’ve covered a folding rowboat, paddle board, sea kayak and canoe. Now, word comes to us of another boat-to-go, known appropriately as The Transporter.

Unlike the other watercraft listed above, the Transporter doesn’t fold flat. Instead, its modular design allows it to be taken apart and carted around in the form of a box. This means that it could simply be thrown in the back of a truck or on the rooftop rack of a car, as opposed to being towed.

The base package consists of one 4-passenger compartment (which also serves as the transport box), along with two polyurethane-coated closed-cell pontoons and a nose cone – they can reportedly be attached to or removed from the compartment, without the need for tools, in about ten minutes. The pontoons float on their own, so the Transporter should remain afloat even if you run it into an iceberg.

The Transporter can be strapped onto a car-top carrier
The Transporter can be strapped onto a car-top carrier

When folded down into its passenger compartment, the stowed boat measures 3 x 4 feet x 20 inches (91 x 122 x 51 cm) – no figures are available regarding its weight, although it's reportedly much lighter than a similarly-sized aluminum boat. A package including an add-on second compartment and two more pontoons is also available, that’s US Coast Guard-approved for up to seven passengers. Buyers of that version can still use just the front compartment and pontoons, when that’s all that’s needed.

The Transporter also includes padded seats on top of the pontoons – it’s reportedly stable enough that this won’t cause any tipping-related problems. Additionally, gear can be stored inside of the pontoons. As a bonus, because the pontoons are made from foam, they provide insulation to keep things like beverages cold.

The single-comportment Transporter is priced at US$2,295, with the two-compartment version going for $2,995. A trolling motor and battery are available as optional extras.

The boat can be seen in use, and being assembled, in the video below.

Source: Better-Outdoors.com

Transporter Boat: Portable, Storable, Functional

View gallery - 13 images
4 comments
4 comments
Jon Smith
Personally I'd rather have a http://www.gizmag.com/oru-origami-kayak-heads-for-production/25206/ it is cheaper but only holds one person.
Bob
Didn't really fit on the back of the quad unless you are going to stand up instead of sit on the seat where the boat is. A little two wheel trailer might make this work a little better. Then load it with camping gear, life jackets and go.
Jacob Carlson
Bob, I work for Better-Outdoors.com, there is an accessory rack extension that goes on the 4-wheeler to make it so the boat fits and two people can still sit down. We took the picture in the article before the rack was finished. We also have an attachment that turns the boat into a trailer that can be towed behind the 4 wheeler as well. You can actually load most of your life jackets and gear right into the box. There is quite a bit of room in the pontoons that are put into the box.
Andre Favron
PFD's should be worn at all times on a craft of this size, by everyone on board. Not a good message being promoted.