Eco-tour to get its Sealegs

Sealegs builder to deliver first boat to Victorian eco-tourism venture.

New Zealand-based amphibious boat builder, Sealegs International, has announced that the first of three new vessels fitted with its Sealegs System 100 system is set to go into operation at a new eco-tourism venture in Victoria.

The first of the 12.8-metre amphibious craft is joining the fleet of award-winning eco-tourism business Pennicott Wilderness Journeys this month and will be put into service at Victoria's largest coastal wilderness area, Wilsons Promontory.

The eco-tour venure, announced last year, will use the new vessels to run cruises in the environmentally-sensitive Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park without having to build new jetties or wharves for launching the vessels .

Sealegs International worked in collaboration with Naiad Design (NZ) and Western Australian boat builder Kirby Marine to integrate its System 100 Amphibious Enablement System (AES) on the three new Naiad Eco-tourers. The remaining two vessels are scheduled to be finished by January 2019.

“With an enduring vision of redefining what is possible, we’re immensely proud of what has been achieved in a relatively short time by all parties working together on bringing this vision into reality,” said David McKee Wright, Sealegs CEO.

“The Naiad/Kirby Marine collaboration is a fantastic case study for Sealegs System 100. We know the applications for our technology are limited only by the imagination, and hope that boat builders everywhere are inspired by the Wilderness Tours craft to maximise the potential of their designs.”

The Sealegs System 100 AES is available on order as a standalone system worldwide to established boat builders with an approved design. In addition to Naiad and Kirby Marine, ReconCraft in the US and Senator Boats in New Zealand have integrated Sealegs System 100 on larger vessels designed for military, commercial and private recreational purposes with payloads of up to 7.5 tonnes.