Sea shuttle 'Crusader' launched at community party

December 19th
[by David Armstrong]

The title of largest boat ferrying tourists around the Abel Tasman National Park now definitely belongs to Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles with the launch and "boat warming" yesterday of the 135-seat "Abel Tasman Crusader" catamaran at Motueka Marina.

The company which built and will operate the shuttle put on an open day for family, friends, local business operators and in fact anyone from the public who wanted to look over the boat and go for as brief spin into Tasman Bay. This followed the official launch at around 3.30pm with the traditional bottle of bubbly broken across its bows.

The Crusader was built in Motueka over the past six months by the Knapp family-owned Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles, using a hull design developed in Nelson and fully designed and laid out above the waterline by Keith Knapp. It cost around $2 million.

Sales and marketing manager Mark Chapman says they are particularly proud of the fact that, although cheaper components such as seating and life vests could have been imported, they made a conscious decision to use only locally sourced materials.

The boat's capacity is 150 people, but will operate below that level, particularly on days of non-ideal weather in which up to 135 can be accommodated under cover. On the short trip enjoyed by yesterday's guests, with choppy 1-metre waves and a strong breeze, conditions were very comfortable. (Guests paid $5 each to the Jack Inglis Friendship Hospital for the ride.)

Mark says the operating schedule will be based out of Nelson but the literature around the service will promote Motueka as a place to stay for longer after tourists leave the park. Each day will start from Nelson at 8.15am, pick up more passengers at Kaiteriteri and enter the National Park at 9.30am. After the trip to Totaranui and back (with all the bays in between), a second return service will run from Kaiteriteri about noon, and the day will end at around 4.30pm in Nelson.

>> , to be added to the page. [If this link doesn't work, use this form instead]

[ Return ]