A unique vessel will hit the waters of McCovey Cove in time for the San Francisco Giants’ home opener at AT&T Park on Friday.
The “Splash Craft,” the brainchild of engineer Adam Wright, came about in the wake of the team’s World Series title in November.
Wright, a Giants fan who lives in the Presidio, said he and his friends were talking about the lack of creativity in boats that usually go out to the cove beyond the ballpark’s right-field fence.
“San Francisco sort of embodies a very creative spirit, but that wasn’t reflected,” Wright said.
“One guy has a putting green out there, and it’s cool but not Giants-related,” he said. “We saw there was an opportunity to come up with something cool and uniquely show our support for the Giants in a way we know how to do.”
Wright, whose day job involves making undersea vehicles for a small company out in Richmond, said he and his friends came up with the Splash Craft “over a few beers after the World Series. It wasn’t that serious to start with, but I started researching it more and more, and the idea sort of came to fruition.”
The 16-foot-long vessel has a circular deck with a Giants logo painted on it and is powered by a stationary bicycle, the handlebars of which are attached to a rudder below deck.
Wright said he “wanted to embody the spirit of San Francisco” by making the vessel not require any fuel, and said that it should be quieter than many of the other boats out in the cove.
The boat has seats for six people, with each person on board taking turns driving the craft from the bicycle, Wright said.
“The general idea is just to chill out in the cove,” he said.
Wright and his friends took the vessel out for a test ride this weekend, and he said it should be ready by Friday, when the Giants host the St. Louis Cardinals in their home opener.
The game, which is already sold out, is scheduled to start at 1:35 p.m.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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