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Building an Amphibious Car
Wezoin
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
For the summer me and a few friends have decided that we would like to try converting an old crappy car into an amphibious. We realise that it is generally a stupid idea, and likely to be a waste of both time and money, however, it is something that would entertain us for quite some time. Naturally, this would be a complete rip-off of what they did on Top Gear.
We are planning on going down to junk yards and looking for just barely running cars from eras passed and to do this fairly cheaply and challenging ourselves. Anyway, long story short, is there any legal problems with driving a car into a river and/or lake in which public boating is allowed? Apart from the obvious ensuring that theres no leaks of oil or any fluids, and that we make sure anything we take into it is taken out. (We live in Ontario, Canada, if that makes a difference)
We are planning on going down to junk yards and looking for just barely running cars from eras passed and to do this fairly cheaply and challenging ourselves. Anyway, long story short, is there any legal problems with driving a car into a river and/or lake in which public boating is allowed? Apart from the obvious ensuring that theres no leaks of oil or any fluids, and that we make sure anything we take into it is taken out. (We live in Ontario, Canada, if that makes a difference)
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We, in Ontario, need boating licenses. The exam covers what you need to have legally in your boat to consider it safe. Beyond that, you should be fine.
That being said the MNR and OPP cruise the waters fairly regularly, you might want to call your local OPP detachment and ask them to give your craft a once over before you hit the water, fines can be really steep.
I guy near my friends has a WWII amphibious vehicle, we asked him once, he said it has to be a legal boat when it's a boat, and a legal car when it's a car.
You will also more than likely need to have a boating liscense but this I am not so sure about.
Sounds like fun though.
Alright, sweet, thanks for the info. So this part, "The operator must ensure that the vessel is properly licensed. (All vessels with motors 10 HP and over must be licensed)" , under small vehicle regulations, does getting the vessel "properly licensed" mean going to the police station and getting them to have a look at it, or does it mean going through a bunch of tests like having to prove it can float in a pool and the such? (I realise this might be a bit of an over-demanding question, since it'd probably require some involvement with the OPP to know, or specifically having worked in boat building)
James May did alright, he was just very very slow.
Maybe you wouldn't define that as a "success" though, haha.
I hope your project gets off the ground and post pictures to keep us updated. Good Luck!
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
IANAL, just a boat guy.
The license for a boat is easier then that IIRC. We just sent in a bunch of details (make, model, serial number) to the government. They sent us a certificate with the boat's ID number on it and we tagged the boat with the number. The primary purpose is for search and rescue, so if a boat goes missing, or is found wrecked they can track it.
I have no clue how to handle some of the fields such as model, make etc when you construct the boat yourself. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to register your "vessel" though, people make boats all the time.
I suggest reading up on the requirements for the registration (I think it's a paper work thing, more then a testing thing) and reading up on having legal things like a throw rope, bailing can, life jackets, lights, a signaling device.
If you have all those things done, I'm guessing it would be a legal boat. Now, the car aspect of it is a totally different story. The OPP can pull your license and impound your vehicle if they think your car is dangerous. This is where the "legal as a car, legal as a boat" thing comes in. That's why I would suggest giving them a call when your project is finished and you have all the required gear. Explain what you've done and offer to show them your "boat/car" if they have concerns (legal or safety) then you can get them addressed before you risk fines if someone complains or you get pulled over by the OPP on the water, or land.
I, personally, like to keep things on the straight and narrow. If you look professional and show good judgment and concern for safety you should get the okay from the OPP, not only that but you might have a few officers take an interest in your craft and watch the launch.
Consider that after you build the car into a boat you're going to need to re-register the car with the MTO and get insurance for it. This'll involve towing the car to a mechanic and have them check it out for road safety, and then registering and plating the vehicle. Then you need to call an insurance company that will insure a homemade amphibious vehicle.
To me, this is sounding very very expensive, I hope your budget is much larger then mine would be.
A less exciting option is to tow the vehicle to the water and launch it from there, but that kind of defeats the purpose of making an amphibious vehicle.
Remember when Top Gear does these things they have the power and money of the BBC behind them. Getting these legal things done is just a matter of knowing the right person and paying the money, for them it's no big deal. For us *real* people it can be a deal breaker.
If, on the other hand, you can find someone with a chunk of property with a flooded quarry or man made lake, you're in business. I could see it happening for under a thousand dollars all said and done, and it would be damn cool to boot.
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
I don't know if there are environmental standards that boats have to meet, I've never heard of such a thing. How about googleling around, I'm sure someone else some where has done this, you just need to see how the laws compare.