Bobcat
Founding Member
HTA duck boat fowls out in initial sea trial:willy_nilly:
BY JOHN DeSANTIS Citizen Staff
jdesantis@keysnews.com
The amphibious tour vehicle scheduled to wend through Old Town streets and Key West Harbor waters splashed down in a sea trial Monday morning. But the voyage was scuttled because the operator broke the transmission, said tour company officials.
Chris Belland, a partner at Historic Tours of America, one of two companies that plan to operate amphibious tours in Key West, said the sea trial started as scheduled from a Navy boat ramp.
"The operator was not familiar with the transmission," said Belland, explaining that at some point after a docking procedure, the gear shift was put into reverse without a requisite stop at neutral, damaging the transmission.
The vessel was towed back by TowBoat US. There were no injuries and there were no passengers other than staff on board.
HTA's amphibious vessel, called a Hydra-Terra, is expected to be on the streets sometime in August. A Coast Guard inspection will be required, as the boats are vessels that roll as well as vehicles that float, from a regulatory perspective. The body design of the Hydra-Terra, HTA has said, is approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation and similar operations are conducted throughout the country and Florida. The boat holds up to 48 passengers.
The duck boats that will be operated by HTA's competitor, Cityview Trolley, will be smaller, carrying 28 passengers.
"The ducks we are bringing are smaller than our trolleys," said Cityview owner Greg Wythe, who bought Duck Tours Seafari earlier this year.
Duck Tours Seafari attempted to operate in Key West in the 1990s, but was shut down.
The company later sued Key West and HTA, alleging that both conspired to interfere with its operation through illegal, exclusive franchise agreements for sightseeing tours, which constituted a monopoly. HTA paid Seafari a settlement of an undisclosed amount. The city lost the civil suit, but appealed the $15 million in damages awarded to the company. During a new trial to recalculate the damages owed by the city to Duck Tours Seafari, the city reached a settlement that granted Seafari $8 million in damages.
Some residents have expressed concerns about the size of the Hydra-Terra, suggesting it will have difficulty navigating narrow Old Town streets. But Ed Swift IV, an official of HTA, says he has no doubt his company's vehicles will handle well, and that they will be a positive addition to the tour choices offered in the city.
jdesantis@keysnews.com
BY JOHN DeSANTIS Citizen Staff
jdesantis@keysnews.com
The amphibious tour vehicle scheduled to wend through Old Town streets and Key West Harbor waters splashed down in a sea trial Monday morning. But the voyage was scuttled because the operator broke the transmission, said tour company officials.
Chris Belland, a partner at Historic Tours of America, one of two companies that plan to operate amphibious tours in Key West, said the sea trial started as scheduled from a Navy boat ramp.
"The operator was not familiar with the transmission," said Belland, explaining that at some point after a docking procedure, the gear shift was put into reverse without a requisite stop at neutral, damaging the transmission.
The vessel was towed back by TowBoat US. There were no injuries and there were no passengers other than staff on board.
HTA's amphibious vessel, called a Hydra-Terra, is expected to be on the streets sometime in August. A Coast Guard inspection will be required, as the boats are vessels that roll as well as vehicles that float, from a regulatory perspective. The body design of the Hydra-Terra, HTA has said, is approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation and similar operations are conducted throughout the country and Florida. The boat holds up to 48 passengers.
The duck boats that will be operated by HTA's competitor, Cityview Trolley, will be smaller, carrying 28 passengers.
"The ducks we are bringing are smaller than our trolleys," said Cityview owner Greg Wythe, who bought Duck Tours Seafari earlier this year.
Duck Tours Seafari attempted to operate in Key West in the 1990s, but was shut down.
The company later sued Key West and HTA, alleging that both conspired to interfere with its operation through illegal, exclusive franchise agreements for sightseeing tours, which constituted a monopoly. HTA paid Seafari a settlement of an undisclosed amount. The city lost the civil suit, but appealed the $15 million in damages awarded to the company. During a new trial to recalculate the damages owed by the city to Duck Tours Seafari, the city reached a settlement that granted Seafari $8 million in damages.
Some residents have expressed concerns about the size of the Hydra-Terra, suggesting it will have difficulty navigating narrow Old Town streets. But Ed Swift IV, an official of HTA, says he has no doubt his company's vehicles will handle well, and that they will be a positive addition to the tour choices offered in the city.
jdesantis@keysnews.com
