Gentlemen...Thank you one and all. 

I shall be a bit busy now looking up the sites that you posted.
I know for a fact some of these aircraft I have never heard of. 

The weather here is rain mixed with a wet snow.
The barn and hangar are buttoned down and everything here is ship shape Bristol fashion. 

The clocks went back a hour last night and the old girl is on her way to church.
I did not go to church as I know the good Lord would want me to check out these sites you all posted right away. 

Thanks everyone.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

Thanks Doug...shall get on it shortly. 

I was watching a yacht about 40 foot trying to make it around the bend in the river here.
With the winds gusting to close to 50 mph at times and the water current he seemed to be having a bad time of it. 
We have rain mixed with wet snow and there are white caps on the river, I would say the waves are close to two or three feet high.
I would have thought a yacht that size would have at least two engines and lots of power.
I could see the spray coming over his bow as he was trying to make the turn, he finally made it.

Thanks for the sites. 

Cheers...Happy landings...Doug

Hi Woodlouse 2002...

Nope it was not a sail boat but an approximately 40 Foot
motorized yacht.  

I think he was inexperienced on the river or he misread the wind and current.  Travelling by boat on the river is not the same as travelling on a bay or lake.
Many a good seaplane pilot has learned that as well!  

While we are on this subject though I would like to add that many here on unaware about the effects of the current and wind on flying boats or seaplanes.

A seaplane (an aircraft on floats/amphibious floats) can be sailed with both doors open/closed, one door open, flaps up or down, water rudders down, engine on/off, the use of ailerons, the use of passengers/crew on a float and many more techniques.

A flying boat like an aircraft on floats/amphibious floats also requires skilled techniques which are not quickly learned over night.
A Flying Boat Captain like his landbased counterpart or seafaring counterpart is a highly experience person in both realms.

There are a lot of books out there now on Float and Flying Boat Flying.  They contain a lot a valuable informatin and techniques, too many to  mention here.
Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

Hi Doug! Interesting read!

The Russian Water plane you mentioned might be the Ekranoplane or look here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6HQSNERadQ

technically it aint a plane but on might classify it as such.

About the Japanese amphibs I couldn't think of much more that the Kawanishi " Mavis"

http://www.vectorsite.net/avemily.html


Hope it helps a bit

Ow yeah an italian company which did much with seaplanes is  Savoia Marchetti

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Here in England I don't know how big a boat you can get before you need any sort of qualifications to drive it but you do have rather a large boat before you do.

Pretty much all of my experience afloat has been coastal sailing so I don't know the finer points of tackling rivers and can't really comment further intill I know what sort of river you're refering to (as in a wide estuary or narrows).

I wouldn't worry about taking the topic off course either. I could talk boats all night if I had to.

Here in England for an average sized boat (under 60 feet certainly) you need no qualifications to command it privately. And long may it last. The RYA is constantly bickering with the government to keep it that way and so far they've succeeded. To get an RYA certificate of competence you just have to join the RYA and pay a £30 subscription.

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The only time it changes is if you're making money out of it. Then you need a few minor qualifications, or major qualifications depending on how serious your sailing is. Other than that you are free to own and use any normal sized yacht or motorboat you can get your hands on.