Rolling Over Water At High Speeds

At present all water transport vessels glide over the surface of water. The surface of water offers friction and drag. The focus of designing water crafts is to reduce friction as much as possible and attain more speeds with stability. However instead of trying to reduce this friction, why not use it at high speeds. At speeds of over 100 mph, when a water skier releases himself from his rope, he does not sink in the water but keeps rolling over it till his speed drops low enough for him to stop. At high speeds the water's surface is so hard that objects can roll over it.

Suppose we have a craft that has 4 balloon type wheels appropriately shaped at it's side, just like a racing car. From zero to 80 mph, it uses conventional propulsion techniques as in speed boats. As it starts to gain more speed, its wheels are slowly lowered into the water and power is simultaneously transferred into them to rotate at exactly the same speed as the craft over the water. Once they are able to roll properly and in proportion with the friction of the water, power from the propellers is disengaged and full power is given to the wheels. The wheels are now riding over the hardened surface of water just like a car or a bus rides on a road. This technology will usher in a new era of high speed commuter water transport in the form of coastal water buses and water transport trucks.