Sailing Tractor Makes 2-1/2 Mile Ocean Voyage

Sailing tractor makes 2-1/2 mile ocean voyage AG WORLD Ag World 15-2-17 One of the most unusual sights at the recent Agromek '91 International Exhibition in Heming, Denmark, was this amphibious tractor making an ocean voyage. P. Ellegaard A/S, a Danish tire company, continuously played a videotape about the "Sailing Tractor". It drew lots of amused looks and chuckles from the hundreds of farmers who stopped to watch. The "sailing tractor" is a 40 hp 2-WD Ford equipped with four large Terra tires. The company used the tractor as a promotional stunt for its tires. The tractor "sailed" across 21/2 miles of ocean separating the mainland of Den-mark from an island where a plowing match was being held. The journey took one hour to complete. The only modification to the tractor was a long rubber pipe extension of the air cleaner to keep water out and a rear-mounted safety light. A 2-bottom plow was mounted on back to counterbalance the heavier front end. To make a turn, the driver simply locked one of the wheels. Company spokesman Hans Jepsen said the voyage left a little water in the engine oil, but caused no other problems. The tractor still works. "It was an interesting trip for the driver and fora couple of painters who were working on a scaffold on the bridge the tractor passed under," Jepsen told FARM SHOW. "One of the workers happened to look down and he couldn't believe his eyes. He turned to the other and said, `I don't know a lot about agriculture, but I've never heard of tractors on the sea.'" Tractor was equipped with 48 by 31 by 20 front tires and 66 by 43 by 25 rear tires. Jepsen says he knows of only one other "sailing" tractor. A German company used a tractor and rear-mounted scraper to harvest oysters on the North Coast of Denmark.

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