Introducing Your Next Ride
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Every once in a while, I come across a product
or service that is so cool I simply drop
whatever else I’m working on and focus
on it exclusively. The Segway, that unique form of
transportation that draws stares whenever it goes by,
is one of those products.
Kieran Conaty, one of our sales guys, rode a Segway
at the Seattle boat show years ago, but until recently, I
had not had any experience with one. While Segways
have not revolutionized our world as first predicted,
they undoubtedly are attention-getters. In Annapolis,
some of the Colonial-dressed tour guides use them to
get to work, and it is indeed a very odd sight to see
someone dressed in Revolutionary garb, complete with
tri-cornered hat, riding a Segway on the Compromise
Bridge over Spa Creek into town.
Michelle Story, a multitalented admin person from
our Norfolk home office, came up to Annapolis for the
weekend last summer, and she booked us on a Segway
tour of the city. It turned out to be an amazingly fun
experience, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen
Laurene giggle as much as she did that day. So we
invited the local dealer, Segway of Annapolis, to bring
several Segways to Trawler Fest in Solomons.
While I originally envisioned this article as a “News
& Notes” item, I wanted to see the reactions from the
hundreds of Trawler Fest attendees to these “personal
transporters” before I proceeded. I was not at all
surprised by how positively people reacted to the
Segways during the event; their remarks usually changed from “I can’t do that” to “I love this!” in less than a
minute.
Getting beyond the novelty of the Segway, let’s take
a look at the utility of Dean Kamen’s invention. It is a
product development evolution from Kamen’s
groundbreaking iBOT Mobility System. Designed as a
unique wheelchair alternative, the iBOT can take its
disabled passenger over all terrain, climb stairs, and
even allows the person in the chair to get up to eye
level to engage in a conversation with people standing
nearby. The iBOT is now sold by the Independence
Technology division of Johnson & Johnson.
I spoke at length with local dealers Dick Segar and
Bill Hopper about the usefulness of the Segway for the
cruising under power crowd, and they agree it is a great
match. Their input had a lot to do with this article, and
I thank both Dick and Bill for sharing their Segway
knowledge and experience.
Let me say that the Segway may be, in fact, the
perfect land transportation device for trawler owners
to use while cruising. It is maintenance free and small
enough to store easily, and it offers so much utility that a
couple of them aboard a boat provide an ideal way to
get around. It has zero emissions, which is appealing for
environmental reasons, and being battery-powered,
avoids the dynamic economies of changing fuel prices.
INSTANT TRANSPORT
Think about it. You tie up at a nice marina for a
couple of days, and you need some way to get into town to buy groceries and wine, or go shopping for the
afternoon. Whether you’re in St. Michaels, Rockport,
Nassau, Friday Harbor, or Key West, the scenario is the
same. For a couple wanting to get off the boat for a day
of exploring and provisioning, two Segways are the
ultimate solution to a boat owner’s transportation needs.
According to Dick Segar, the company’s research
showed that most people travel only 4 miles or less to
conduct their daily rituals of shopping, getting and
sending mail, and running errands. Dick, a retired
commercial airline pilot, pointed out that most pollution
from an automobile comes in the first several miles as it
comes up to operating temperature, as internal engine
components reach their operating tolerances.
Just imagine, he went on, if we could find a way to
avoid those many short trips around town by car by
instead using transportation that did its job but did not
pollute. How much of a reduction in our nation’s
dependence on foreign oil would that translate into, and
how much reduced pollution would exist if mainstream
American found practical alternatives?
Thinking over his comments, I’m struck that while
cruising, much of what he says is the same. Most
marinas are not quite in the center of town, but they’re
usually close enough to the shops and services that
transient cruisers could use some form of transportation that bridges the gap between walking and renting a car.
Therein lies the beauty of the Segway.
With the handle collapsed down to three feet and
removed, the basic Segway in its duffel bag measures 20
inches in diameter and 25 inches in length. It can be
stored in any position, even upside down. Weighing in at
just under 110 lb., the Segway can be moved in and out
of a lazarette or storage locker easily. (It’s about the same
weight as a 9.9hp outboard.)
There are two models of current generation Segways,
the i2 and the x2. The i2 is the smaller unit; it fits easily
through a door and is designed to be the perfect urban
commuting transporter. The x2 is the SUV version, with
large, fat tires that make it ideal for off-road use, soft,
sandy beaches, and nature trails. It’s too wide to ride on
most urban sidewalks or squeeze through doorways.
Both models of Segways are water
resistant and can be ridden in the rain and
through water, just not submerged. There
are no exposed parts to rust or corrode,
and the Segway can be hosed off and
cleaned with a damp rag. An
exceptionally conservative company,
Segway’s engineers build
the transporters to exceed aircraft
construction standards. Even the recent news headlines about a Segway recall is proof of the
conservative attitude of the company. It seems a software
engineer found a line of code in the internal software
that created the possibility, however remote that might
be, that might, under certain situations, reverse the
direction of the wheels. Although an exceedingly minor
software issue, the company chose to recall all machines
to update the internal software. Few companies would
go that distance, and it says a lot about the characters of
the management team at Segway, whose corporate
offices are in Bedford, New Hampshire.
Just as your middle ear helps to keep your body
balanced, the Segway uses sophisticated, gyroscopic
sensors to provide “dynamic stabilization,” a patented
process that allows the vehicle to balance on two wheels.
The new generation Segway cleanly moves in the
direction in which you lean, imperceptibly translating
one’s slightest movements to go forward, turn, and
reverse in a unique gliding motion. And to say it is a
great deal of fun is a definite understatement.
UTILITY WITH A SMILE
The i2 has a range of 20–24 miles on a charge and can
travel up to 12 miles an hour. That is enough range and
speed to cover the requirements of any cruising person’s
onshore travel needs, and there are accessories to make
the i2 even more functional. The commuter package for a loud shriek when activated, the wheels lock and can’t
be easily moved, and there is a removable wireless key
fob that is unique for each unit. The Segway can’t
operate without it, and it has its own wireless alarm
to alert the owner if someone is touching the Segway.
For self-sufficient cruisers, the Segway offers a handy
source of transportation that is also a guaranteed
icebreaker. Gliding through Annapolis on our Segway
tour, we noticed that every person, whether 80 or 8,
literally stopped what they were doing and stared at the
three of us moving quietly through town. It was a hoot.
Easily recharged aboard your boat from a
110–220VAC outlet, the units can stay plugged in and the i2 includes a quick release for the handle, a parking
stand, and a handlebar bag for carrying your “stuff.”
Wearing a backpack expands your storage ability
significantly, but there are also optional side bags for
serious hauling. The total payload limit of both rider and
cargo is a combined 260 lbs.
Segar and Hopper went on to explain that most
injuries at speeds under 12 miles per hour are simple
scrapes. Over 20 miles per hour, however, and bones
begin to break, which is why the machine is limited in
top speed.
Security is an important element of the Segway’s
design. Each one is equipped with an alarm that sounds stowed away until you reach your next destination,
where they can be placed on the dock and ready to go
in no time. I understand it takes about 6 hours to
recharge a Segway from a totally flat battery. Like the
current hybrid cars, the battery is charged as one glides
downhill because of the Segway’s regenerative braking
capability.
When I mentioned to Dick and Bill that I found my
legs got stiff after more than an hour on a Segway, Bill
mentioned there is an optional set of comfort pads to
reduce the strain on one’s limbs, and it is a typical
accessory for urban police Segways.
And as a further reality check about typical usage,
Dick piped in that most people travel about 6 miles in
an hour on their Segway, which seems to be more than
enough to get them where they need to go and back.
You will pay about $5,400 for an i2 with the commuter
package, but that’s it. The Segway comes with a oneyear
warranty (which is extendable), is available in black
or white, and is maintenance free beyond keeping tire
pressure at 15psi.
Both Dick Segar and Bill Hopper insist that wearing a
helmet is a must, not so much for protection in case the
rider falls off, but because gliding along on a Segway in
effect makes you 8 inches taller. Riding into signs and
branches is a common occurrence, so the helmet is a
must. (I’ve experienced this firsthand.) They also feel a
30–40 minute training session is important for new
owners. While each Segway comes with a video, handson
instruction is really a safer bet for secure operation.
PERFECT FOR YOUR BOAT
According to the company that manufactures it, the
Segway is the safest means of transportation available to
consumers; it creates no pollution and uses no gasoline.
It is classified as an Electronic Personal Assistive Mobility
Device (EPAMD); thus, someone riding an i2 is
considered a legal pedestrian. That also means users
must follow local pedestrian laws in terms of crosswalks,
stop signs, and other traffic flow management.
For a couple cruising aboard their trawler, having two
Segways aboard really extends the ability to tour a town
and go to restaurants off the beaten path, and yet there is
no associated inconvenience that I can envision. I have
already met a couple of cruisers who have them aboard
their trawler, and they agree with my assessment. The
Segway is a perfect match to the trawler lifestyle, and a
heck of a fun time as well.
For more information, or in my humble opinion, the
opportunity to try a Segway in person, visit Segway.com.
The site has lots of basic information, and can easily
locate a dealer near you. As the Segway becomes more common, the dealer network is expanding all the time. I
recommend you find a dealer and at least try riding a
Segway. It really is that different, but it remains a
practical transportation alternative.
If you can stand up, you can ride a Segway. If you
can walk there, you can glide there on a Segway. And
watching your wife giggle her head off certainly adds a
nice touch to the day.
Reprinted with permission. Copyright 2007 © Dominion Enterprises (888.487.2953) www.passagemaker.com
You are reading the text-only copy of this article. To access the article as it appeared in PassageMaker Magazine, please log in to purchase and download the PDF version of this article.