Lakeland Eye

All quiet at Waterhead on a beautiful morning....

Until the Amphibious vehicles arrive and as with most events the sun departs.....

I believe that most of them have done the full length of Windermere from Lake Side and Bowness....

They do about 6 knots in water and, as on the road, steer by the front wheels.

...with the Lake Patrol in attendance.....no one was done for speeding.

You have to have two licences, one for the road and one for the water......

Loads of spectators on the promenade....

Regional television crew here.

Plenty of snappers.....

.....and chatterers.

Amphicar is the only non-military Amphibious vehicle ever put into production on a commercial basis. The many rules and regulations for road and water going vehicles make it very unlikely that another car based amphibian will ever be produced. Amphicar is capable of over 70mph on road, 8 knots on water. It is comfortable enough to drive 500 miles a day. Road behaviour is similar to a good 1960s European saloon car or a 1980s American car. There are maybe 500 still in regular use with 7 in the UK and about 80 in the rest of Europe.

Two rubber strips that work like the seal on a refrigerator seal the doors.

Like a normal car...apart from a bit more welding on the body shell, a high exhaust, a bilge pump and a lever for reverse and forward of the propellers.

Interesting variations.....

.....and interesting head gear.....

...must be a problem on the motorway.

All the way from Germany.....road map and charts required.

A more traditional craft having a look.