Not since Steve Jobs combined a cellphone, an iPod and a pocket organizer to create the iPhone have we been as excited about a tech convergence as we are about the world’s first boat-hammock hybrid. OK, so it is not quite as revolutionary, but it still looks pretty darn neat!
Called the MelloShip, this relaxing Kickstarter project promises to banish the pressures of the busy world with a product its creator said will “eat stress for lunch.”
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“Get in the hammock and cruise in silence across a lake,” inventor James Womack told Digital Trends. “You steer it with a waterproof remote control. The combination of floating on air in a hammock and being on the water simultaneously is simply amazing.”
If the thought of having to steer your own hammock boat is still too stressful, however, there is some good news: you don’t have to.
“The MelloShip can be turned into a ‘ride,’” Womack continued. “Get comfy in the hammock and hit ‘go’ — then cruise on auto-pilot for two miles along pre-determined route without touching anything but your iced tea. This level of comfort on a lake just seems somehow wrong.”
This may be Womack’s first Kickstarter project, but he is a veteran when it comes to knowing how to live the good life. In 2004, he and his wife Gabriela had enough of city life and moved from their cramped studio apartment in Manhattan to a 15-acre goat farm in rural Nicaragua. There, they built the region’s first library and a yoga-art-surf retreat while Womack perfected the MelloShip. He has since tested it on rivers, lakes, lagoons, and even the Pacific Ocean.
As relaxing as it may be, though, the MelloShip is also packing some pretty cool tech. Solar panels charge a battery which powers an electric motor, controlling a GPS computer which can be operated wirelessly using a remote control. The pre-programmed routes feature is also neat — using GPS to remember points and routes across a two-mile stretch.
“It runs on a near-silent electric motor, powered by a battery charged by the sun,” Womack said. “It is quiet. It doesn’t pollute. It is safe, essentially unflippable, and can hold up to 500 pounds. It can be tweaked and customized with accessories, including drink holders, cooler holder, fishing pole holders, flooring options, pop up seats, sunbrellas — whatever floats your boat.”
