An Estonian on Saturday began a trip around the world in a Toyota
Land Cruiser that he turned into an amphibious vehicle that will cross
land, oceans and rivers on a 60,000 kilometre journey.
Mait
Nilson, 44, a mechanical engineer who worked on the project for the
past seven years, waved goodbye to friends and fans as he set off from
Taillin on a journey he estimates will take nine months.
“This has
been my dream since I was a 10-year-old boy and spent summers at our
cottage near lake Peipsi in East Estonia,” Nilson told AFP before his
departure in the vehicle dubbed Amphibear.
Photos on his website
www.amphibear.com depict a vehicle that looks much like a typical 4×4,
aside from large attachments surrounding it which allow it to
metamorphose into a 10 metre boat.
It sports an anchor, hydraulic pump and portable toilet. A stove is built into the back door.
“The
first sea crossing will be the Strait of Gibraltar, the first river
crossing is in Senegal, and the first ocean crossing is the Atlantic,”
Nilson told AFP.
He will be joined by several co-pilots on different legs of the journey.
“Amphibear
can cover 120 nautical miles in a day in ideal conditions. Most legs
last less than 5 days and can be covered when the weather forecast is
good. On land the car-boat can drive at speeds of up to 110 km/h,”
Nilson said.
The vehicle will cover 60,000 kilometres (37,000
miles) through Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Cape Verde, Brazil,
Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras,
Guatemala, Mexico, USA, Canada and Russia.
“So far I have spent around 200 hours at sea with my amphibious car,” Nilson added.
“As
an amphibious vehicle, Amphibear has some disadvantages when compared
to a catamaran or a boat. It has a higher centre of gravity, less room
for crew and equipment.
“Its big advantage is low wind drag, meaning less risk to capsize due to wind than sailing catamarans,” Nilson said.
