VESSEL REVIEW | Osprey – Combination sightseeing/adventure boat and ferry for Australia’s famous Fraser Island

The SeaLink Travel Group approached Yamba Welding and Engineering (YWE) to design and manufacture a 12.5-metre tourist vessel for the Kingfisher Bay Resort on Australia's world-famous Fraser Island.

The project's objectives were to construct an adventure vessel designed to operate tourist and commuter passenger services in a coastal environment.

Specifically, this meant the vessel had to be capable of operating services including passenger transfers between the mainland at River Heads and Fraser Island, and tourism product offerings including sightseeing, whale watching and eco-friendly tours.

The clients' vessel specification was for a rigid hull inflatable capable of a cruising speed of 25 knots in a laden condition, to 2C/1D Survey with outboard motors and seats for approximately 30 passengers.

YWE decided a Naiad 12.5-metre hull would be perfect for this operation/specification. The model's foam collar system and EREZ PU outer gives this vessel great stability and is easy to maintain. YWE said the customer's requirements were met in full, and that with three 300-horsepower (225-kilowatt) Yamaha outboard motors, Osprey has a cruising speed of 23 knots at 3,500 rpm and a top speed of 40 knots.

A hard-top canopy was designed and manufactured so as not to add too much extra weight to the vessel for stability. The storage of standup paddle boards and tubes on the canopy was considered for weight factor as well. A fixed windscreen of six-millimetre clear acrylic with mitre corners was manufactured by Alfab and installed by YWE tradesmen. There were also clears on each side for extra protection from the elements. A bow landing door was installed for beach access

The aft console houses the toilet compartment down a set of stairs to port. The helm and navigator seats are Relaxn Cruiser high-back seats on seat boxes with storage underneath. The passenger seats are SeaForce static seats with cobalt fabric, all with arm rests, drink holders and personal floatation devices underneath. Black vinyl slipcovers were included to protect each seat.

The passenger seats are arranged in rows of four abreast, and are moveable to enable space for catering on board for smaller groups. A U-shaped lounge aft of the helm station provides space for catering, luggage storage and other functions. The deck is covered in Sea Dek teak pattern, giving a luxurious look and feel to the vessel.

Osprey has a fuel capacity of 1,400 litres and freshwater tank with a capacity of 150 litres. There is a toilet with holding tank for passenger comfort, and a 200-litre fridge. A deck shower was installed so tourists can remove sand and frshen up.

The electronics equipment consists of an Icom VHF radio, NSSevo3 16" HD display with GPS, sounder, Wi-Fi and HDMI out, plus 4G broadband radar and AIS Class A.

More stories from the current Passenger Vessel Week here