Faster than a Cape ferry? Rhode Island company to test Seaglider, a boat that flies.

Imagine going from Boston to Provincetown in 20 minutes in a boat that flies?

The Seaglider, a vehicle that’s part boat, part aircraft and all electric, just might deliver. That's the vision and mission of Billy Thalheimer, Mike Klinker and a team of more than 60 people at Regent Craft in Rhode Island.

Regent founders — CEO Thalheimer and CTO Klinker — have degrees in aerodynamic engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and worked for Boeing for four years. But Thalheimer used the example of a bird in flight to describe how the Seaglider works.

The vehicle takes advantage of a cushion of air over the ocean, Thalheimer said, like a pelican flying over the water. Watch a video of the long-winged bird riding air currents close to the waves and you get the idea. It can rise and fall with the waves without flapping at all. The Seaglider even looks like a bird with its curved 65-foot wingspan.

Advancements in aviation, boating and racing technology, improvements in battery waterproofing, and a momentum toward zero emissions are powering the development of the Seaglider, Thalheimer said Tuesday.

“The future of mobility on the planet is sustainable,” he said. “We’re seeing a huge momentum through taxation, emission caps, bans and other things.”

How it works

The vehicle currently is 57 feet long, 15 feet high and has a wingspan of 65 feet. Its three modes of operation are: float, foil, and fly, Thalheimer said.

A Seaglider would sit in the water at a dock-like structure for passengers to board. An operator would move the craft and its V-shaped hull through busy harbors on foils, wing-like attachments that give the craft maneuverability. The foils can lift the boat out of the water as speed increases. When the craft reaches open water, the operator would increase speed and fly at speeds up to 180 mph at 20 to 30 feet above the water.

The craft will be able to move over the surface of the water by gaining support from the reactions of the air against the surface of the Earth, something called “wing-in-ground effect,” according to the website. The technology has been around for 60 years, Thalheimer said.

The Seaglider would carry 12 passengers, two crew members and up to 3,500 pounds of payload. It could travel up to 180 miles.

Why is it needed?

Thalheimer sees the vehicle providing fast, sustainable coastal transportation in a world where 40% of the population lives in coastal communities.

“It turns out the Cape, Boston, New England and most of the world are coastal communities,” he said. “This overwater transportation service represents an amazing opportunity.”

And it comes at a time when companies and countries are trying to cut emissions because of climate change. France has outlawed domestic flights shorter than 200 miles, Thalheimer said. State and federal governments, and large national companies have pledged to make electric, zero-emission vehicles a significant part of their fleets.

Who will use it?

The Seaglider will be used for coastal transportation by commercial and defense industry customers, according to Thalheimer. Ferry and airline operators may want them so they can provide faster, cheaper, green service to customers. The company has a contract with the U.S. Marine Corps to develop an island-hopping model for use in the Indo-Pacific, Thalheimer said.

“We have customers who are operating ferries, aircraft, in some cases flying helicopters to offshore windfarms," he said. “They want to replace the missions their vehicles are doing today with Seagliders, or add to the fleet.”

And this won’t just be a vehicle for the ultra-wealthy. He estimated that the cost for a 50-mile trip between Boston and Provincetown would cost between $30-$50 per ticket and would take 20-30 minutes.

Compare that to four hours of travel time and a tank of gas to get there by car, or a $25 one-way ticket by bus, or $80 to fly.

Who will be able to operate the Seaglider?

Seagliders are under maritime jurisdiction and have to be built to maritime standards, Thalheimer said. They are built to float and must have all lifesaving equipment on board. They will be certified by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Operators will have to have Coast Guard certified master licenses and go through a six-to-eight-week training program offered by Regent before they can get an endorsement on their license.

The controls are fast or slow, right or left. Maritime navigation rules are followed. There are buttons to push to use the hydrofoil, to take off and to land. Altitude and pitch control are handled by a digital flight control system.

“It’s basically flying itself with the software and sensor systems Regent developed,” Thalheimer said. “They’re driving it like a boat, they just happen to be 20 feet in the air.”

Thalheimer promises this will be an exciting year. The company is building a full-scale, human carrying prototype that they plan to test in Narragansett Bay this summer. They expect to fly it by the end of the year.

Denise Coffey writes about business, tourism and issues impacting the Cape's residents and visitors. Contact her at dcoffey@capecodonline.com.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Regent will test 180 mph vehicle that flies 20 feet high over water