Adventure sports get new meaning with double decker boats

Pune, May 9 (UNI) For the first time in the country, a city-based company has manufactured luxury tourist double decker boats with 'V-Hull' and 'Balsa wood' having a capacity of 60 passengers.

Sunny Water Sports Products' representative Sunny Sebastian told reporters here today that the company is gearing up to meet the tourist requirement in the country and has already sold its first double decker boat to Diu Tourist Department.

The advantages of the boat over the ones in use is that it is more efficient and weighs less. Since Balsa wood has been used for the first time, the boat weighs 30,000 tonnes less than the ones in use, Mr Sebastian informed.

He said the V-Hull ensures better speed. The boat cruises at 15 knots and can cruise upto 25 knots speed using high-power engine.

The company also has also manufactured swamp boats propelled by air propellers which have been successfully used by J&K Police in Dal Lake, he informed.

The swamp boat takes nearly five months to manufacture and costs upto Rs 50 lakh. ''Last year the turnover was Rs two crore and this year we are expecting to double that figure,'' he said The company is pioneering the manufacture of Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) rowing boats and is introducing inflatable, rigid inflatable boats, flat bottom FRP boats and other life-saving equipments, Sebastian said.

He added that they were also viewing the western coastlines of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Kerala and eastern coastline of West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu with other adventure sports like canoeing and kayaking as it has tremendous potential for sea tourism besides other tourist departments.

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