The Hot Tug.....floating hot tub/boat....

[Julian]

This caught my eye while looking at boat trader....pretty amusing concept. The only thing I wonder about is how much, or little, freeboard it has. I can imagine it has to take waves over the sides quite a bit????

de HotTug

Sailing in the winter while you are steaming in a Hot Tub? You can in the HotTug!

www.hottug.nl

Who is going to start a franchise???

 

[2kwik4u]

I'm in......I'm all in.

If only the Ohio river was cleaner.

 

[Julian]

Also looks like it needs a few more cup holders! Can never have too many cupholders (or too much cowbell) LOL

 

[HangOutdoors]

Yup, I can see a couple of decent size waves washing over that and people floating around without preservers on that need to get fished out of the lake before hypothermia sets in, in cold weather. Gonna happen. Lotta stuffs going to floating around.

Beyond that great concept.

 

[Miitch]

I've always thought these sorts of things were kind of... funny? a tub full of water... on a body of water... Backyard pool on a waterfront property... at what point do we start sitting in chairs on our beds?

Despite all that, this does look like an absolute RIOT!

 

[anmut]

I love it - however some concerns:

1) freeboard size is scary
2) in USA it would need to be registered as a boat and have a place for all the PDF's
3) according to the website, it's wood fired? You're kidding, right?
4) how much insulation does the tub have? This would be great in colder water - but lots of cold water vs. a little warm water and you're going to have to have a separate tug for fuel to keep it warm.

 

[Dixie Highway]

This seems like yet another way to get a rash and/or disease on the water....here I thought all I had to worry about were the fast women!!!

Disclaimer-I have a hot tub at my house and love it. BUT I do all the maintenance and know the water is safe

 

[2kwik4u]

I love it - however some concerns:

1) freeboard size is scary
2) in USA it would need to be registered as a boat and have a place for all the PDF's
3) according to the website, it's wood fired? You're kidding, right?
4) how much insulation does the tub have? This would be great in colder water - but lots of cold water vs. a little warm water and you're going to have to have a separate tug for fuel to keep it warm.

1) Yeap it's tiny. I think in very protected waters (read all no wake zones in the US) it wouldn't be as big of a deal. I'm certain there is flotation within the hull that we can't see, and while I don't want to assume "unsinkable" I bet it's damn hard to sink it. Hell it starts 90% of the way there, and I'm sure that thought has been tested with it being a rental without a company rep onboard.
2) Yea, that's an issue. no idea how to work around that
3) Kinda neat if you ask me. No idea how to keep the wood dry, where it's stored, and how the hell that works
4) I bet they have a coil wrapped around the "fire chamber" so that heat is rejected to the tub before the ambient water. Kinda neat though that you technically couldn't "overheat" the boiler since there is a relatively infinite heat sink all around you in the form of the ambient water.

I would love to get my hands on one for a day to really understand how it works. I don't think there is a market near me, because of a lack of protected waterways and the aforementioned low freeboard. It sounds like a helluva franchise to have thought, looks like a blast, and I garun-damn-tee there are some hilarious (and most likely "dear penthouse" level) stories that come from drunk people in a hot tub on the water.

 

[anmut]

1) Yeap it's tiny. I think in very protected waters (read all no wake zones in the US) it wouldn't be as big of a deal. I'm certain there is flotation within the hull that we can't see, and while I don't want to assume "unsinkable" I bet it's damn hard to sink it. Hell it starts 90% of the way there, and I'm sure that thought has been tested with it being a rental without a company rep onboard.
2) Yea, that's an issue. no idea how to work around that
3) Kinda neat if you ask me. No idea how to keep the wood dry, where it's stored, and how the hell that works
4) I bet they have a coil wrapped around the "fire chamber" so that heat is rejected to the tub before the ambient water. Kinda neat though that you technically couldn't "overheat" the boiler since there is a relatively infinite heat sink all around you in the form of the ambient water.

I would love to get my hands on one for a day to really understand how it works. I don't think there is a market near me, because of a lack of protected waterways and the aforementioned low freeboard. It sounds like a helluva franchise to have thought, looks like a blast, and I garun-damn-tee there are some hilarious (and most likely "dear penthouse" level) stories that come from drunk people in a hot tub on the water.

It would be interesting if this could be towed behind a boat with a bracket or hitch of some sort, instead of a rope, and somehow make it a "part of the boat itself," thus eliminating the need for separate PFDs. Would take some sneaky lawyers to figure that out. Next, remove the wood heat and snap a hose on the jet pissers of a Yamaha for hot water and include a "flood valve" to introduce cold water to balance it out and you've got yourself a unique, albeit expensive, accessory. Call it the Yamaha Hot Tub Booster, sell it for 10k.

 

[2kwik4u]

@anmut I love it......Yamaha is going to want more than 10k though.

 

[Julian]

I think in very protected waters

Yeah....you can see it is being used in protected canals in most of the photos. We don't have many of those around. Still looks like a fun idea, but I'm pretty sure the USCG would have a field day with it!

 

[TimW451]

I would mount it next to or in my deck at home as a “novelty” hot tub. I think it’s Costco that sells the round wood slat hot tub with a similar wood fired heater.

 

[TimW451]

It gets better...

 

[GTBRMC]

It gets better...
View attachment 123095

Fairly certain I've seen these as rentals on the Milwaukee River. Smaller version, I think.