The harnesses would be specially made for the dolphins, probably fitting individual mammals between the head and dorsal, minimizing pressure to the fin and allowing for maximal mobility of their lower body.

It would all be made out of really smooth flexible carbon fiber; stretchy stuff, like the stuff those new laser swimsuits are made out out. The ropes would be very stretchy so that a great deal of gain would be noticed between the dolphins' initial move forward and an actual force on the boat. This means that they have a great deal of freedom to move.

To keep the ropes out of the way of the tails they thread through a rafter that looms above the front of the boat. This rafter is a center piece of a dolphin sled; it must be very sturdy and is made of the finest mahogany. It usually contains the engraved initials of the sled's first owner and dolphin team. Some engravings actually bear a bas relief of the team in action.

The sled would be a boat, of course. Probably a lightweight shell with flanking floatables to counter the gee and haw of the six or eight frisky little fins in the water. The center section, the basket, has a stand on the front with a driving bow where the rider holds the ropes and commands the sea! Mush!
-- daseva, Jul 25 2008

Chariots Of Water Chariots_20Of_20Water
[theircompetitor, Jul 25 2008]

[daseva] out for a Sunday ride. http://z.about.com/.../6/J5459Chariot.jpg
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jul 26 2008]

Shark surfing http://meview.metro.co.uk/?id=31939
Like this? [theleopard, Jul 31 2008]

+ sounds like fun as long as the dolphins aren't harmed or over worked.
-- xandram, Jul 25 2008


Chariots of water.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jul 25 2008


Very cool. +

(This reminds me of a story my brother told my little girls about some baby armadillos that came out the woods and tried to fly a kite, but got taken out to sea by a gust of wind. They were saved by a bunch of dolphins. The image of baby armadillos riding on the backs of dolphins always makes me laugh).
-- nomocrow, Jul 25 2008


[nomocrow], that makes me smile.

As charming as this idea is, I've my usual objection--a lack of method.

A dolphin swims by moving its tail up and down. That tail has flukes that are several feet wide. Which is to say that there is a hell of an area at the back of a dolphin that cannot have chains, traces, or tugs through it.

This idea doesn't address that problem. It is probably a solvable problem, but I want to see something about it.

Otherwise, this is just a description of Poseidon's chariot.
-- baconbrain, Jul 25 2008


Dolphins, the other sea horse!
-- quantum_flux, Jul 27 2008


What happens when they dive?
-- tatterdemalion, Jul 27 2008


How about a dolphin-team submarine?
-- nomocrow, Jul 28 2008



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