AWARDS 2022 | Best Unique Passenger Vessel – L’Estuaire – Navanex

Here is an innovative and versatile development of the RIB concept that provides both excellent visibility and comfort to passengers watching whales in cold Canadian waters. All of these were undertaken with a remarkable sense of aesthetics, resulting in this impressive whale-watching boat.

"The vessel was developed for whales observation, and so all seats are configured to have a direct view of the sea from inside," Jean-David Samuel, Navanex President and CEO, told Baird Maritime.

"The wheelhouse has an excellent position from which an operator can see and hear whales and thus inform passengers of the animals' presence via an open window. It is also highly manoeuvrable and boasts tremendous power."

Samuel said the main difficulties in the design related to the petrol fuel system, particularly in ensuring it complied with existing regulation.

"Passenger vessels are usually fitted with diesel instead of petrol engines, so we had to make sure our proposed configuration posed no risks at all."

The company also needed to design a canopy that can be easily opened during calm and warm days and that can also keep passengers dry when navigating heavy seas.

"We also worked first on the hull," added Samuel. "After some tests, we decided to add volume to the bow and to reposition the weight in anticipation of wave conditions at the entrance of the Saguenay River and the middle of the Saint-Lawrence River. Finally, we also had to fit the boat with boarding and disembarking stairs at the bow to allow access via unprepared beaches."

"We have a good workflow and a good balance between new construction and new design, stability analysis, and naval architectural engineering," Navanex said, commenting on its performance during the preceding year. "Our team has been experiencing growth in the last three years and we expect to continue our progression up to eight employees."

The designer wants to keep the company small and familiar but optimised and efficient, with all members of the team fully involved in their tasks and passionate about the projects being undertaken.

As for the Canadian workboat industry, Navanex expects that the industry will flourish over the next few years.

"New technologies will need to be integrated and alternative fuel systems will be entering the Canadian market soon," Samuel told Baird Maritime. "That will lead to a number of interesting challenges to overcome as well as knowledge that needs to be mastered."

For a list of the 2022 "Best Of" award winners, please click here.