Palo Alto resident Chris Robinson was pondering how he would protect his family from a tsunami after the devastating disaster hit Japan back in March of 2011. His answer was the Tsunamiball– an escape pod of sorts made almost entirely out of wood.
Sure, others have designed their own wooden ships but Chris has no boat building experience and has never sailed, however he does have some impeccable woodworking skills.
Chris began work on the Tsunamiball back in 2012 and has been working on it in his spare time ever since. He designed the survival pod using Adobe Illustrator and a little help from some engineers to help calculate whether his design would float or not. The boat was designed using marine-grade plywood coated in xylitol and epoxy, which will strengthen the 2.5-inch hull.
While most of the frame is complete and even features a captain’s window and several portholes, it’s still a work in progress, however he plans on outfitting it with flexible solar panels, an electric motor and a compostable toilet. It will also feature foldout beds, an electric stove kitchen area and plenty of storage.
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