Philippe Fayollas from Bordeaux had the idea, at the age of 57, to do something different and surprising. He even had the idea of creating something different and surprising, even explosive in the traditional world of the navy. Trained as an engineer, this invention enthusiast set himself the challenge of creating a nautical vehicle that could " face 20 meter high waves and 90 to 100 knots winds ".
It is on this basis that the idea of the spheravague was born. This hybrid between a boat and a buoy is supposed to be, according to its creator, " maneuverable, comfortable and suitable for leisure, tourism and first aid ".
Limited maneuverability
If we can believe that such a sphere will be maneuverable on a closed water surface with very little sea and current and that it can then provide fun and playful sensations, keeping a course at sea, especially in a rough sea as its author seems to imagine, seems complicated. The mechanisms for keeping the boat afloat have not led to the current shapes for nothing, with a waterline and a lengthening, guaranteeing safety and comfort on board.
So what?
Far be it from us to dismantle Philippe's project or dream. He is one of those people that the community needs. Most boaters are still big kids who like to modify, improve or tinker with the boat they buy.
It is the essence of a passion to put the dream within reach and to propose something better or different. This is where Philippe is remarkable. He has had an idea and has deepened this idea to the point of concreteness. He accepted the risks of any idealist to see his project not succeed and, nevertheless, he conceived a prototype whose video proves that it works.
Certainly, the passengers of the spheravague do not seem so serene and relaxed as that. Of course, we don't imagine the SNSM boatmen using this floating sphere to save lives in the middle of a storm.
But we like to imagine ourselves, perfectly well even, walking on the water at mid-season, with our family, on a lake or a river and exploring in a different way places we know by boat... Classic!
