System, apparatus, and method for housing a vehicle in a container

Abstract

A method is disclosed. The method includes loading a plurality of vehicle components in a housed configuration in a container, transporting the container containing the plurality of vehicle components in the housed configuration to a location, unloading the plurality of vehicle components from the container and assembling the plurality of vehicle components into an assembled configuration of a vehicle, disposing the container on the assembled configuration of the vehicle, and transporting the container from the location to a next location on the assembled configuration of the vehicle, and disassembling the plurality of vehicle components and loading the plurality of vehicle components in the housed configuration in the container at the next location.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 loading a plurality of vehicle components in a housed configuration in a container;   transporting the container containing the plurality of vehicle components in the housed configuration to a location;   unloading the plurality of vehicle components from the container and assembling the plurality of vehicle components into an assembled configuration of a vehicle;   disposing the container on the assembled configuration of the vehicle, and transporting the container from the location to a next location on the assembled configuration of the vehicle; and   disassembling the plurality of vehicle components and loading the plurality of vehicle components in the housed configuration in the container at the next location.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selectively extending and retracting a drive assembly out of and into a retractable pod assembly disposed in at least one of the plurality of vehicle components. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising rotating a drive assembly, which is selectively extendable from and retractable into a retractable pod assembly disposed in at least one of the plurality of vehicle components when the plurality of vehicle components is in the assembled configuration of the vehicle, 360 degrees relative to the retractable pod assembly disposed in at least one of the plurality of vehicle components. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising moving the assembled configuration of the vehicle using the drive assembly when extended from the retractable pod assembly disposed in the at least one of the plurality of vehicle components. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising rotating a rotatable component of at least one of the plurality of vehicle components between a retracted position when the at least one of the plurality of vehicle components is in the housed position and an extended position when the at least one of the plurality of vehicle components is in the assembled position. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the container is an intermodal High Cube shipping container having a height of 9 feet 6 inches or 8 feet 6 inches and a length of 20 feet, 40 feet, or 45 feet. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising unloading the plurality of vehicle components in the housed configuration from the container using a retractable support movably attached to the container. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a boat and the container is attached to a plurality of hull members of the plurality of vehicle components when the plurality of vehicle components is in the assembled configuration of the vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . A system for use with an intermodal shipping container, comprising:
 a plurality of vehicle components configured to be housed and shipped in the intermodal shipping container in a housed configuration;   wherein the plurality of vehicle components is also configured to be assembled into an assembled configuration of a vehicle; and   wherein the plurality of vehicle components assembled in the assembled configuration of the vehicle is configured to receive and transport the intermodal shipping container.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a retractable pod assembly disposed in at least one of the plurality of vehicle components, the retractable pod assembly including a drive assembly configured to selectively extend from and retract into the retractable pod assembly disposed in the at least one of the plurality of vehicle components. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the vehicle is a boat and the drive assembly includes a propeller or a water jet; and   at least some of the plurality of vehicle components include a structural rollover member.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the drive assembly is configured to rotate 360 degrees relative to the retractable pod assembly disposed in the at least one of the plurality of vehicle components. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the intermodal shipping container is a High Cube container having a height of 9 feet 6 inches or 8 feet 6 inches and a length of 20 feet, 40 feet, or 45 feet. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of vehicle components are configured to be removably attachably assembled into the assembled configuration of the vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a rotatable component of at least one of the plurality of vehicle components that is configured to be rotated between a retracted position when the at least one of the plurality of vehicle components is in the housed position and an extended position when the at least one of the plurality of vehicle components is in the assembled position. 
     
     
         16 . A method, comprising:
 loading a plurality of boat components in a housed configuration in a container;   transporting the container containing the plurality of boat components in the housed configuration to a location;   unloading the plurality of boat components from the container and assembling the plurality of boat components into an assembled configuration of a boat;   disposing the container on the assembled configuration of the boat, and transporting the container on water from the location to a next location on the assembled configuration of the boat; and   disassembling the plurality of boat components and loading the plurality of boat components in the housed configuration in the container at the next location;   wherein transporting the container containing the plurality of boat components in the housed configuration to the location includes transporting by truck, freight rail, or container crane.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein assembling the plurality of boat components into the assembled configuration of the boat includes assembling a plurality of hull components configured to receive the container when the boat is in the assembled configuration. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein assembling the plurality of boat components into the assembled configuration of the boat includes stacking a plurality of superstructure blocks on one of the plurality of hull components. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein assembling the plurality of boat components into the assembled configuration of the boat includes extending at least one of a wheelhouse from at least one of the plurality of hull components and extending a propeller or a water jet from at least one of the plurality of hull components. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 selectively extending and retracting a drive assembly from and into a retractable pod assembly disposed in at least one of the plurality of boat components; and   steering the boat by rotating the extended drive assembly relative to the retractable pod assembly disposed in at least one of the plurality of boat components when the plurality of boat components is in the assembled configuration of the boat.