The Brush Autoboat

Here is how he built it:

The See-Bee landing gear wheels were altered and remounted, one on each float, for towing on the highway.  All aluminum parts were riveted and all steel tubing welded.  Another Cincinnatian, Donald Witte, handled the critical parts of the welding and riveting fabrication that were needed for the desired light weight.

The 21 foot long, 13 foot wide catamaran is folded down and into itself keel-to-keel, so that its maximum width on the highway is six feet, 2 inches.  A three-point tractor-type trailer hitch, connected to the major members of the steel tubing frame, joins the car and catamaran for towing on the highways.  Its height when folded is only six feet and the car can easily tow it at speeds up to the legal limit of all highways.

Launching takes about 15 minutes.  Similar to any outboard launching, the car backs the catamaran into the water until it floats.  The nature of the hull construction makes it tend naturally to open up to its floating position when the catamaran reached its normal draft of about 18 inches.  The trailer wheels now stick out the sides, above and horizontal to the water.

Next, a six foot bridge-ramp and a four foot beach-ramp are laid into position from the shore to the front of the Autoboat.  Lines are fastened amidships on each side of the craft.  Line handlers on the beach steady the craft.  The car is then backed up the ramps and onto the catamaran.  Wheel-stops position the car exactly.  Through a trap door under the rear seat, the drive shaft of the car is then connected to a counter-shaft on the boat.  The countershaft drives the propeller through two universal joints.  The automobile’s front wheels are now in position on wheel disks that are connected to the rudder by cables.

After the ramps have been pulled aboard and tied down, and steadying lines tossed to the pilot, the amphibian is ready to take off.  Putting the car in reverse gear backs the craft off the beach and from then on the car is driven up to 25 miles per hour (22 knots).  The craft is steered from the driver’s seat.

Since nothing has been left on the beach, the driver need not return to his starting point.  He can drive up to any shore that will support his car.  He then reconnects the drive shaft to the car’s rear wheels.  Using the ramps again, he drives off the catamaran and onto the shore.  After disconnecting the ramps, he uses a built-in electric winch to fold the hulls back up, keel-to-keel.  The trailer wheels now face down, so after connecting tie cables and hooking the hitch back up, the car pulls the boat out of the water.  The ramps and other gear are then stowed, and final tie-downs secured.

The car and boat are now ready to speed off to the next launch point.