Wind-powered, air cushioned rotatable platform

A wind-powered, fluid cushioned, rotatable platform for floating on a body of liquid, the platform comprising:

• a deck having a continuous upper surface defining a circle having a center point and a radius, a lower surface and a rigid lower peripheral member extending around an outer perimeter of said deck, said rigid lower peripheral member defining a buoyant chamber providing positive buoyancy to said deck, said rigid lower peripheral member forming a circular footprint in the body of liquid to minimize the drag force when rotating the rotatable platform;
• a pump supported by said deck and having a pump outlet;
• a fill pipe having a first end connected to said pump outlet and a second end in communication with said lower surface of said deck;
• wherein said pump is adapted to pump a fluid through said fill pipe to a blow tank formed beneath said deck between the surface of the liquid and said deck lower surface within the area circumscribed by said rigid lower peripheral member, a substantial portion of said blow tank being spaced laterally from said buoyant chamber;
• a plurality of sail and mast assemblies coupled to the deck designed and arranged to catch the wind and harness the power of the wind to rotate the floating platform.

A method of rotating a floating platform on a body of liquid, the floating platform having a generally horizontal, circular deck having a continuous upper surface defining a circle having a center point and a radius, a deck lower surface and a downwardly extending peripheral rigid, buoyant hull member extending below the deck lower surface, the method comprising the steps of:

• floating the platform on the downwardly extending peripheral rigid, buoyant hull member in a first buoyant platform position in the body of liquid, the first buoyant platform position having a first wetted hull surface area;
• forming a blow tank beneath the deck between the surface of the liquid and the deck lower surface within a circular hull footprint defined by the area circumscribed by the peripheral rigid, buoyant hull member, a substantial portion of said blow tank being spaced laterally from said buoyant hull member, said circular hull footprint facilitating rotation of the floating platform;
• pumping a fluid into the blow tank to manipulate the floating platform to a second buoyant platform position, the second buoyant platform position having a second wetted hull surface area that is less than the first wetted hull surface area;
• providing a plurality of wind-catching assemblies on the deck;
• and
• harnessing the wind via the wind-catching assemblies to effectuate rotation of the floating platform.