A WIG (wing in ground effect) vessel includes a hull with wings attached. The WIG vessel includes means for propulsion as well as altitude and directional control. The lift of the wings in ground effect is augmented by partial aerostatic lift, achieved through interior gas holding envelopes containing a lighter-than-air gas. The wings have a high mean chord length, for example fourteen meters or more, allowing the vessel to fly in ground effect above water at an altitude where waves are of minimal concern. The vessel has a low wing loading, below 1.5 kg/m2, and the wings are of uniform thickness and have an aspect ratio of less than 1. The conical fore end of the hull forces air below the surface of the wings for ground effect. Weight transfer is used to alter the pitch of the vessel.