Floatwing: a holiday home for drifters

Floatwing: a holiday home for drifters

We all like a relaxing holiday, but what if you could literally float away from all your worries? The Floatwing floating home lets you do just that. Whether used as a romantic getaway, a place to stay with friends or a watersports base camp, it can move leisurely around the calm serenity of a lake.

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Designed by nautical design and engineering firm Friday, the Floatwing is reminiscent of the Floating Seahorse properties being developed in Dubai. It allows its occupants to up-anchor and move to another lagoon idyll when they wish, using two small outboard motors that produce a top speed of 3 kt (3.5 mph / 5.6 km/h).

Those in the market for a Floatwing are also able to customize its layout to some extent. It is designed to be modular and so has a fixed width of 6 m (20 ft), but can vary in length between 10 m (33 ft) and 18 m (59 ft) and an interior area of between 28 sq m (301 sq ft) to 52 sq m (560 sq ft). This means that it can be configured without any bedrooms and used just a daytime cabin, or with up to three bedrooms for people to stay overnight.

Among the facilities available are a fully equipped kitchen, a wine "cellar" and a barbecue on the upper terrace for sunny days. The inside temperature can be regulated with a heat pump and AC generator, with a pellet stove also available to keep those onboard warm when the outside temperature drops.

The Floatwing is built with materials that have a low environmental impact, and employs technologies to reduce its carbon footprint and lower its energy needs. It is also able to generate its own power, with up to 31 sq m (334 sq ft) of solar panels. It can produce up to 80 percent of its annual energy needs, and 100 percent of its needs for over six months. When fully charged the craft is self-sufficient for at least seven days. A wastewater treatment plant, meanwhile, can treat water to such an extent that it is safe for disposal back into the lake.

The Floatwing is designed in such as way that it can be shipped in two standard shipping containers. Its modular design means that all its components, equipment and furniture can be packed away comfortably into the containers for transport.