Rollin’ on the river
Invention tested in local watersBy MICHAEL D. McELWAIN (mmcelwain@reviewonline.com)
Article Photos
“He’s the first person to get into West Virginia by ATV and back the same way,” Randy Wetmore, a project consultant said as inventor Clifford Ruff, of Negley, steered his craft on land and over water.
The unique craft is said to be the first to hold a dual registration as both an ATV and as a watercraft.
Dubbed the “Alligator II,” it has at its core a Honda Foreman 500 four-wheel ATV which travels around as normal. But it takes a different attitude when approaching water.
As it heads down a boat launching ramp, two, 28-inch pneumatic cylinders operated by a 12-volt DC compressor lower two pontoons into position.
The pontoons keep the ATV — now a watercraft — afloat while steering is handled by a rudder.
Ruff said the craft can reach speeds of 5 miles-per-hour on the water, and that’s fast enough to get a passenger from shoreline to shoreline.
“People have been trying to do it for years,” Ruff said after completing the trip and securing his place in local lore. Approximately 20 people stood on the Ohio side of the river upon Ruff’s departure and cheered as he pulled up the pontoons and drove around in Chester.
“Really, I just got the idea and started the project in January,” Ruff said. “It’s just something I wanted to do in my spare time to see if it could be done.”
Ruff is a native of New Brunswick, Canada, and moved to Columbiana County for work and because he met and married a local, Joy.
The prototype flotation device was manufactured by Action Fabricators USA and Wetmore said the production model will be made of plastic pontoons to cut down on weight and production costs.
“The Alligator II can be attached to any ATV,” Wetmore said. “We plan to go to trade shows and other places to put on demonstrations and get the word out. They are ready for sale.”
Wetmore took his own turn at the wheel and at the helm. “It’s just plain fun,” he said.
