New Amphibious Ecotourism Venture in Australia
Sealegs International Limited announced today it has begun supplying componentry for the first of three planned amphibious ecotourism boats to an Australian operator.
Pennicott Wilderness Journeys (PWJ) has commissioned the three commercial RIBs to be designed by Naiad Design, built by Kirby Marine in Australia and amphibiously enabled by Sealegs International. The boats will feature Sealegs Amphibious Enablement System (AES) 100, and can support a payload of thirty passengers along with two crew.
Example of System 100 applied to a large format boat.
A ground-breaking and innovative solution was required for PWJ to launch a unique new tourism venture in Australia. The amphibious route was the only option for this sensitive national park location, where construction of coastline infrastructure – such as a wharf – is not possible.
PWJ owner Robert Pennicott said “we are extremely excited to be working with Sealegs, Naiad, Yamaha and Kirby Marine on this project. The Sealegs technology will allow us to share a spectacular coastal environment with visitors in a way that wasn’t possible previously.
Having already produced a system of the required scale, Sealegs International Limited were able to supply a proven solution that could be adapted for the application. Sealegs System 100, the company’s largest Amphibious Enablement System (AES), has been developed over three years using the experience gained in delivering over 1,200 of their pioneering System 60 AES to over 50 countries since the company’s inception thirteen years ago.
Sealegs System 100 supports a fully amphibious payload of more than 6.5 tonnes, including propelling it forward and reverse at up to 10 km/h. For more specific applications and bespoke projects requiring greater payloads, Sealegs works in conjunction with the boat designers, builders and the customer to ensure it will suit their desired applications.
All Sealegs systems are machined, built and commissioned at Sealegs production facility in Auckland, New Zealand. Once each unit is assembled it is rigorously tested on a custom-built jig, ensuring it meets weight-loading of each customer’s bespoke requirement.
Sealegs CEO David McKee Wright said “The Pennicott Wilderness Journeys project demonstrates the positive benefits of collaboration between customers, boat builders, and Sealegs to meet the unique demands of Ecotourism. Sealegs is actively looking to emulate the success of this partnership in other application-specific markets."
About Sealegs International Limited
Sealegs International is a wholly owned subsidiary of Future Mobility Solutions (NZX:FMS) and has been the world’s leading manufacturer of amphibious RIBs for over 10 years, manufacturing and selling amphibious boats and amphibious enablement kits from their factory in Auckland, New Zealand.
For more information, please contact:
David McKee Wright
Sealegs CEO and Co-Founder
+64 292 777 444