That's $10 million for a mast. Granted, it's part of a massive structure that's twice the size of a 747's wing, but that's still $10 million for a mast. The Ellison-owned team has two more in reserve, so it's understandable how the helmsman can call the harrowing event "minor" when speaking to we plebeians.

The cause of the mishap is unknown. Weather and stray surfing gadget blog editors have been ruled out, and the team hopes to figure out the real cause and get back to training so they can meet and defeat Alinghi of Switzerland on Feb. 8. [NBC Bay Area]

Specifically Japanese whalers. The same Japanese whalers who were made famous by the camera-happy efforts of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. You know, the group whose anti-whaling, conservationist exploits on the high seas can be seen on a reality TV show near you, right now?

Now, the paint job and wild design aren't just for aesthetics. Nay, they also turn this sleek trimaran into a radar-deflecting stealth boat. Presumably, this will allow the Earthrace to sidle up to unsuspecting whaling ships, where it will then "protest" peaceably.

The boat leaves Perth on December 7 on a three-month journey alongside the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's Steve Irwin to protest Japan's industrial whaling program. Good luck, and be careful. Stealth or not, last I checked matte black wasn't harpoon-proof. [LIFE via Boing Boing]

Royal Caribbean named this affront to god the "Oasis of the Seas," which, yeah, is a super cheesy name, but it's not like there's anything subtle about a god damn 1200-foot-long boat. It'll operate out of Miami and begin offering cruises in December. The Oasis of the Seas has a maximum capacity of around 6,000 people, which for the record is larger than the population of MY ENTIRE HOMETOWN. It's about 50% bigger than the current frontrunner in the "Titanic 2/Icarus" competition, the Queen Mary II, so now you can all feel free to hop on board that ship, since the Oasis of the Seas (really, you guys had to brag about the several seas in which this ship will be an oasis? It's really annoying, grammatically) is sure to be the one to sink in a blaze of indoor amphitheatres and miles of buffet lines. [Oasis of the Sea via BBC via The Awl]

Actually, that's 4-hours on a 3-phase 400V/32 source. It takes 28 hours on a standard, European 220V outlet. To put the benefits of an electric-powered boat in perspective, consider this: a full charge only runs about 5 Euros (about $7.40). The boat may be priced 30 or 40 percent higher than an equivalent diesel powered craft, but you could save money over the 10 year life of the battery on fuel costs.

If you have the means it's probably a good idea to wait a bit longer for Nimbus to improve the technology. Apparently, a new generation of batteries that can double the range will be available "soon". That would make it a serious competitor will diesel boats in terms of performance while offering you more juice to rig up a way to electrocute fish. [Nimbus via Luxist]

UPDATE: Nimbus claims that E-Power is the "world's first electrically powered boat for the commercial market", but it appears that there are other companies out there that have been selling electric boats for decades. However, the E-Power seems to be bigger than previous models.

On top of the low-fire charcoal grill and Kumbaya-friendly seating arrangement, there's an optional 500 watt speaker system complete with satellite radio. I mean, if you're going to pay $24,000 for a glorified bumper boat, it had better come with satellite radio.

Every bone in my body tells me I shouldn't want one, but this picture really, really makes me want one:

Just look at how awesome that is! Get 10 of those on the same lake, slap some tires on the sides, and you've got a real party. [Product Page via Uncrate]

The "boat" is meant to inspire, says creator/product designer Joey Ruiter.

Power Boat: For very small people or no place to sit. You decide.

The Power Boat is also great for posing.

The lasers detect CCDs, or charge-coupled devices, which are used in most (but not all; CMOS chips are also around) photoelectric sensors. Guards can activate the lasers when they spot any suspicious glint of a camera's lens, which will then shoot a bright, focused light directly at the camera, ruining any photography.

Predictably, paparazzi (the only Italian plural I know, embarrassingly Looks like I don't know any Italian, and will never pretend to know even a single word again) are angry about the laser shield, whining that:

Intermeddling with goods belonging to someone else, or altering their condition, is a trespass to goods and will entitle the photographer to claim compensation without having to prove loss.

It might be kind of a lost cause, since it's awfully hard to hide a 557-foot boat at all times without, like, sinking it, but anything that involves lasers shooting at paparazzi sounds pretty good to me. [Wired]

But don't get too jealous just yet; or, if you're filthy rich like I am, put away the plastic. This fit for a Russian oil magnate superyacht is concept only for now as the designers seek out an investor. Start saving. [DriveDesign via Born Rich]

This 15-foot-wide, solar-panel-adorned disc is a floating water purifier, to be plopped into the canals in the Japanese city of Osaka, and into the moat around the city's centerpiece castle. Designed by NTT, these "floating UFOs" can filter about 2400 gallons of water in the 6 hours a day they'll be operational, all the while spewing the newly cleaned and oxygenated water out of a little spout in its back, presumably because these things have the potential to be kind of unsettling, and everything with a blowhole is automatically charming. It's true! Check!

At night they'll just sort of float along, creepily. They've got batteries for when the sun hides out, but only to power a rack of glowing LED lights. [Asahi via Pink Tentacle—Second image from Mainichi Daily]

Dubbed TigéTouch the inboard system uses "proprietary Tigé software" that includes engine and speed control functions. With the tap of a finger you can create up to 20 athlete presets that can save riding speed, ballast settings and TAPS2 positioning (which is apparently technology that adjusts the size of a wake). It also has the expected iPod interface functionality for rocking some waves.

No mention of the type of touchscreen (assuming resistive) or if the screen is waterproof, but we assume they thought of that. [Tigé Boats]

Here are ten machines that are so enormous that they'll screw with your sense of what's large, what's small, and what is truly gigantic—each handily put into scale.

The key component are the three wheels, which morph from the paddle form you see in the image to a traditional wheel for land-based activities. In the case of snow or other such hard-to-traverse terrain, the wheels can open slightly, mimicking snow tires or chains.

Designers Janne Leppänen, Tuulia Miettinen, Roope Kolu, Tiemen Stelwagen, and Jaap Van Der Voort also created the Hybrid to be eco-friendly: Driving the wheels are battery-powered electric motors and the souls of lesser, weaker traditional paddle boats, which this vehicle must consume to stay alive. [Tuvie via Ecofriend vai DVICE]

We've mentioned Schopfer's previous (and first) luxury yacht, the Oculus, but the new Infintas is far, far sexier with its "closed loop infinity symbol" design and includes a much needed upgrade in the form of an extra 50 feet of length. [Schopfer via The Cool Gadgets]

It's not abundantly clear when you'd use the as-yet-unannounced electric engines, or exactly how efficiently the onboard solar panels will collect sunlight and charge the as-yet-unannounced batteries.

Let's be honest: You probably won't use them all that often. The point is to have them, and to tell your rich-ass friends that you are, in Code-X's words, "a pioneer and frontrunner on the path to a cleaner and more environmentally friendly future." The point is to be saying this while gunning your twin F1 Limor 710HP smogmasters to drown out the riffraff circling you in those environmentally unfriendly Jet Skis.

The most sinister thing about the whole operation is the length that Code-X went to render a completely non-existent boat into so many real-life scenes, almost as if James Cameron was the company's marketing consultant. [Code-X via Josh Spear via DVice]

The launch bests the lavish $350 million Dubai that set sail from, yes, Dubai. At 551-ft. in length, the Dubai had been the longest yacht in the world. The Eclipse also cost a cool $350 mil to complete, but it comes with a host of modern extras and a decidedly un-tacky interior so we're giving it the edge not only on length, but in the taste department as well.

Take for example the missile defense system that allows the crew to jam incoming pirate missiles. Or, perhaps you'll consider the secret underwater submarine entrance, perfect for James Bond style escapes—just watch out for those underwater knife fights!

Then there's the two heli-pads, pool with surrounding Havana bars, cinema, library, restaurant, private garden and a 5,000-sq.-ft. master bedroom, the latter of which had me feeling pretty stupid about all the bragging I did last night regarding what I pay for my new "spacious one bedroom apartment." [Morgan Post via Born Rich]

The tiny tankers are designed to realistically mimic the driving conditions of their full-sized brothers, with a slightly gentler learning curve. Emergency situations (like a failing engine) can be remotely triggered for training purposes. Oh, and feel free to quote that episode of The Simpsons with the big guy in the tiny car. That's what you guys are here for. [DVICE]

Japanese boy band Arashi constructed a boat capable of keeping the whole group of four afloat, assisted only by the natural buoyancy of the boys' whimsy. It worked! For a while! Then, as you can see for yourself, things fell apart disastrously. The only salve I can offer for your bruised, waterlogged dreams is this: Japanprobe thinks the Legos are knockoffs.

OK good, now that we've got that settled, next we shall conquer the sky! And by we, I mean Japanese boy band Arashi. [Japanprobe]

In a tragic turn of events, the superyacht (called, boringly, the Dubai) was originally commissioned by Prince Jefri of Brunei—oh how the wheel of conspicuous consumption is always turning!

It features eight decks spread across 551 feet of length, accommodations for 115 people, and all of the expected restaurants, bars, private whole-deck owners' suites, helipad, pool, Jacuzzi, woefully tacky interior...need I continue?

The folks at Luxist point out though that the Dubai's title as the world's largest is in danger—Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, the owner of the Chelsea football club, is planning a 555-ft yacht. [Luxist, Superyacht Times]

For as little as $150,000, you too can own the first-generation of the plug-in, battery-powered equivalent of a 375-horsepower motorboating experience, which uses the auspiciously named Flux Propulsion EVO 8.1 Marine Drive System to recharge itself over a four-hour run via gas motor. In all, it uses just half what a similarly beefed-up powerboat would use to pull skiers and wakeboarders and let's not forget fat, drunk tubers. If you're a bit strapped for cash, wait till 2012, when AutoblogGreen reports there may well be a $70,000 version.

The funny thing is, no matter how smugly green a boat gets, any promotional video of it—shown below—still makes it look like just the thing for some good ole red-state R&R. I should know, having grown up waterskiing on Lake Maxincuckee in Culver, Indiana. Tip to director, though: For an even more successful promo vid, add some bikini-clad blondes, a case of Coors Light, and more life-threatening airborne trick action. [AutoblogGreen via Engadget]

The catch is, the Navy is insisting upon donating it in tandem with a giant, ugly, rust-laden submsersible barge called the Hughes Mining Barge. The vessel was actually used as a floating dock for the Sea Shadow, protecting it from the prying eyes of Soviet spy satellites.

The WSJ has a great story on Frank Lennon, a Naval museum operator in Providence, RI whose sole attraction—a retired old Soviet sub—was sunk by a tidal wave. While it has recently been exhumed from the deep, Frank has his eye on the Sea Shadow as his next big crowd-getter. Now he just has to figure out what to do with ths shitty old barge it comes with.

Anyone want to take on old Frank for the prize? The Navy is waiting for your calls. [WSJ]

With room for 12 people to comfortably cruise at 25 knots, the rear of the Oculus remains open like a gigantic jaw that's eating the passengers alive in luxury. And what appears to be a cleverly-placed window fills in an apt spot for an eye.

Inside, the ceilings reach an impressive 12-feet (hey, those are higher than where I live every day!) while the entire boat is still described as a "low rider," featuring retractable panels that protect the decks from swells. Wait, why are we even bothering to explain all of this to you? You can't afford it. [Tangram 3DS LLC via Schopfer Yachts via DVICE]

The sleekness of design even accounts for the anchor, which is stored flush with the hull at the front ("fore" in sailor-speak), and two jet-skis, which have their own storage compartment at the rear (what sea captains call the "aft"). All of this hydrodynamic design is intended to let the sucker run at a brisk 40 knots for up to 360 miles, nudged ahead by two honking 1250-horsepower engines.

Lest you think this is just a pipedream that will remain inside the head of German vehicle designer Daniel Hahn while billionaires queue up in the first-class welfare line, bear in mind that last we checked, superyacht sales were up. [Diseno-Art via Born Rich]

So I guess we're not going to need a bigger boat after all. [via DailyMail and Getty Images]

To give you an idea of the carbon footprint this thing has, the fuel tank is so big that it costs $1.4 million to fill up. It's owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, who got it built for about 150 million euros at the Blohm & Voss shipyard, Germany, following a Phillipe Starck design. [Luxury Property via Dark Roasted Blend]

[Danger Room via Dvice and M Ship Co]

5,400 people, to be exact. The ship is so large that it has a "Central Park" the size of a football field in the middle, its own gigantic amphitheatre, and seven different "neighborhoods" that people will stay on. This thing is larger than an aircraft carrier, people. It's f'ing huge.

It's due to launch next year, and in 2010 a second ship of the same size will be unleashed as well. I will be staying far away from both of them. [Official Site via Boing Boing Gadgets]

What's cool is a boat like this would eliminate the need for the dozens of athletically-inclined sailors normally required. Instead, one (or a few) just needs to monitor weather systems and adjust accordingly via the touchscreen. The two sails can be raised to their 55m height in 30-40 seconds, and can also rotate 160 degrees.

Other ships, such as the Maltese Falcon, might be bigger and already do partially automated sailing to an extent, but Project GreenJet is trying to push the boundaries of automation. While still a concept, Sifrer says it's a matter of time and money to get this made. Basic production calculations have already been made, and Sifrer just needs backing for this project, which will cost $70 million and take 3-6 years to build. In theory.

My feeling is that you still need the human to make the calls. Sailing is extremely complicated, and it's very difficult to read into waves, wind and current simultaneously and autonomously. It just hasn't been done yet over any great distances or challenging conditions and 3 to 6 years is far enough away that we might as well say 60 years. But who knows?

[Gizmag]

The fake gunwales on the rear of the hull fall away, and the masts come down (hopefully not on someone's head). Suddenly, the boat is less encumbered, more free to speed out to open sea where the good ole USAF can provide adequate air support. If you're found out, says Spycraft co-author Keith Melton, this would increase "your chance of living," which is nice. Boats like this were definitely in use, though the CIA will not say how often, or in what specific situations.

Melton says the concept is similar to an earlier one, the Q Boat or Mystery Ship, a gunship masked as a merchant vessel used during World War I to lure submarines to the surface.

All of this CIA tech and much more like it is covered with great depth and hair-raising anecdotes in Spycraft, a new book by Robert Wallace and H. Keith Melton, reviewed by us, and available for pre-order at Amazon.

With production dating back to 1988, the last Zubr looks to have launched in 2004. Capable of carrying multiple tanks and a nice mix of 140mm rocket pods, 30mm cannons and air defense missiles, the Zubr can cruise for 300 miles before rapidly deploying troops and equipment close to shore. Scratch that. Directly on shore. In other words, it's just like that R/C vehicle you lusted after in the '90s, but it's way bigger and actually good for something. Or, in this case, potentially very, very bad. [English Russia, Naval Technology and Defense Industry Daily]

Look how tired that guy is! Sorry urbanites, this is only a concept. For actual run-ins with nature you will still have you leave the city. [Yanko Design]

Instead of using the typical heavy cranes and tugs, they do their jobs very cheaply using computer models of the ship's intricate ballast systems, heavy cutting and drilling tools, pumps (and more than a bit of personal risk.) And salvage like this, recognized as a form of legal modern piracy, is compensated by a percentage of the value of the loot they save. Generally millions for jobs only days long. Here's how they flipped her around:

This is the best feature I've read in a long time. It's worth checking out. [Wired, Illustration by Don Foley/www.newsinfographics.com]

Oh, now we get it. It's a publicity stunt to popularize biofuels, and now it's gone beyond the prototype stage and it's ready to roar around the world. Pete Bethune, the captain of the sleek ship EarthRace, had enough fat taken out of his body to produce about 100ml of fuel, and two of his corpulent buddies have contributed some of their own personal lard, where the resulting 10 liters of fat will be enough to help the boat travel about seven miles.

But isn't the circumference of the world a bit more than 7 miles? Indeed it is, about 24,000 more miles will need to be navigated to make it all the way around. Bethune plans to use other biofuels (not made from human fat) to make the trip, in which he hopes to average around 29mph for 65 days in attempt to beat the current world record of 75 days. Never mind that fat publicity stunt, the real journey begins March 1st of next year. [Daily Mail]

In its current form, solar sails are an ideal solution for boats designed for short trips. Tests in Sidney have illustrated that ships equipped with the sail can go around 6 knots on wind power alone or 6 knots on solar power. When combined, speeds of 10 knots are achievable. [Crave]

Yep, the 30-foot-long Protector, which is autonomous and comes mounted with a big ol' machine gun, could help wage war on the scourge of the high seas. Rather than going up and spraying a pirate ship with bullets, as you might imagine, it would take a more responsible route. As pirates love to put out fake distress calls and then ambush any responding ships, the robo-boats could give warning to the responding boats, keeping them out of harms way.

There's no word on if or when the US military will acquire these robot boats, but I'm sure they see the benefit of a robot vs. pirate engagement as much as we do. [Popular Mechanics]

A 1884-sq ft sheet of Tetrapak was folded to make the boat, which is almost 30 feet long and weighs 55 pounds. Named "Bis Ans Ende der Welt" or Until The End Of The World, the $217 boat took just two hours to construct, and Frank reckons it will survive forty days (and, I assume, forty nights) before it disintegrates into a soggy mass of sinkability. I wonder if he'll do a paper airplane next? [Spluch and Abendblatt through Google Translate]