Bugbite is a 17 ft traditional was built in 2019 by Kevin Fitzke to the original and much-loved 1935 design by A.A. Apel. The plans for Apel’s design were first published in the 1935 February issue of Motor Boating Magazine, then again in the 1936 Motor Boating Ideal Series Vol. 17 book. It’s not known…
The DUKW 6×6 Amphibious Utility Vehicle is typically just referred to as the “Duck” after its official name “DUKW” – a US Military code for its design: “D” means designed in 1942, “U” means utility, “K” means all-wheel drive, and “W” means dual-tandem rear axles. The DUKW 6×6 Amphibious Utility Vehicle The DUKW would become…
The Riva Ferrari 32 was jointly developed by the two Italian companies in the late 1980s as a water-borne equivalent to the Ferrari Testarossa. The boat has the famous side strakes of the iconic ’80s supercar as well as a similar tail end, prominent Ferrari badging, and the bright red Rosso Corsa paintwork we all…
Jean-Yves Delitte is an artist who started out working for the famous and much beloved Tintin series of comics, he paired with writer Philippe Richelle on the Donnington series of comics in the Tintin universe that started in 1984. Over the next few years Jean-Yves worked with a series of writers to create the graphic novels…
The Speakeasy is the latest offering from Fitzke Wood Boards, a small Minnesota based company run by Kevin Fitzke. Kevin was born and raised in Minnesota, known as the land of 10,000 lakes (which he spent countless days exploring), and he spent much of his life admiring the sleek mahogany speedboats of the 1930s. In…
The Dobbertin HydroCar is an amphibious vehicle that took 10 years to develop with over $1 million USD invested in research, development, and construction. The HydroCar can be driven on land for extended periods thanks to its articulated sponsons (side pontoons) that can be raised or lowered. In the raised position the four wheels are…
At first glance this 1958 Ice Speedster looks like a prop from one of the original Star Wars films. In fact I wouldn’t be at all surprised if George Lucas had encountered one and used it as a base for the X-34 Landspeeder driven by Luke Skywalker on Tattoine. Snow Planes Those of you from…
The Tupolev A-3 Aerosledge The Tupolev A-3 Aerosledge is an unusual curiosity from the depths of the cold war, the CIA and MI6 doubtless had thick folders on the craft as it was used for collecting both cosmonauts and crashed pilots in the remote areas of Siberia. Alexei Tupolev of the Tupolev Design Bureau originally developed…
The Rapid Whale Mini Boat is a kit-built, single-seat watercraft designed to be assembled at home by novice builders. The main parts are all precision laser cut marine-grade plywood, and it’s held together with epoxy construction. The manufacturer explains that it’s designed to last a lifetime, not just a single summer at the lake or…
The idea of taking an aircraft engine capable of over 1000 hp and bolting it into the front of a hydroplane is clearly insane. But in the interwar years in Europe, the battles taking place on the water to set new records and win races had very few restrictions – particularly in the aptly named…
The Amphicar is a 100% amphibious car built by the Germans in the 1960s, and lovingly described by their owners as “the fastest car on the water and the fastest boat on the road”. This joke is a reference to the somewhat stately 7 mph top speed on water and 70 mph top speed on…
Van Dam Boats Van Dam was founded in 1977 with a singular purpose – to build the best wooden power and sail boats in the world. The company is based in Boyne City, Michigan where two generations of the same family build classically-styled launches with craftsmanship at a level we more commonly associate with Lake…
