ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS – Looking for a fresh idea? The HotTug allows groups of six to eight people float on a river, lake or canal in a boat that also passes for a hot tub.
As the "wow" element of a riverside event, one thing is for sure: sailing couldn’t get any more novel than this.
Created by artist and furniture designer Frank de Bruijn, the vessel is constructed from wood and fitted with glass fibre reinforced polyester. Its design was inspired by de Bruijn’s passion for boats and getting into hot tubs.
The boat comes in two versions, one with a wood burning stove and another with both the stove and an electric motor for a two-and-a-half- or eight-hour cruise, depending on the model. The HotTug can hold 2,000 litres of water, which can be heated to a comfortable 38 degrees Celsius by burning logs in the stove. Flushing out the water afterward can be done with the boat’s electric submersible pump.
The HotTug is available for sale starting at €8,950 (US$11,733). It will also be available in Werf Ijlst in Friesland, Netherlands, where groups can book wooden waterside lodges that come with boats for their use. Rental requests from around the world are accommodated as well.
De Bruijn is originally a trained sculptor from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. He is the owner of Supergoed, where he designs functional, one-of-a-kind furniture. De Bruijn states that he hopes to see the HotTug in rental stations at ports and cities soon.
“The HotTug can be delivered everywhere in the world, and yes, we are looking for rental locations around the globe,” sales and marketing head Jochem Karstanje told Mix.
Johna Baylon
