Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
ONE of the country’s leading tour operators Shearwater Adventures has launched a 14-seater jet boat which will be used for high-adrenalin sailing under the Victoria Falls Bridge.
A jet boat is a type of cruise boat that sails downstream on the rapids and fast- flowing water starting from underneath the Victoria Falls Bridge up to around rapid number four.
This is not the first time the activity is being introduced in the country’s prime resort town as Shearwater once operated a similar boat which ran for a few years from 2003.
A sizeable crowd that attended the launch yesterday marvelled as the
2,9-tonne aluminum boat was lowered by a crane from the top of the bridge to the bottom of the river where its captain, Mr Justice Chuma test-drove it upstream towards rapid number 1.
The boat will undergo rigorous two-week testing and safety process on the river to ensure it is safe for clients before they can sample it.
Crew will also be trained during the period, said Shearwater Jets general manager Mr Garth Fowler.
“We launched the product before in 2003 and it ran for a few years. We spent two years designing this in Cape Town where it was tested before being transported here. The boat will operate below the bridge from the boiling pot on rapid 1 to 4 and is a fantastic addition to adrenalin-rushing activities in Victoria Falls as it showcases the gorge and river thereby giving people the opportunity to see the river and the waterfall,” he said.
It took the company more than two years to make the eight-metre long boat powered by 435 horsepower Volvo engine with a commercial jet and auxiliary motor for back-up at a cost of more than $500 000.
When it was delivered last month, it was tested on the upper Zambezi where ordinary cruise activities are done.
Mr Fowler said he was confident it was going to give unforgettable experiences for clients.
He assured prospective clients that the boat is “very” safe compared to the previous one which mysteriously disappeared.
“The previous boat was not specifically designed for this environment. It was fibreglass with two engines but this one is specifically designed for this environment. We have done as much as we can beforehand to make sure it’s designed well and we’re confident it’s going to work,” he said.
Mr Fowler said a 45-minute drive in the boat will likely cost $100 although the company is still working on final charges.
Environment consultant Mr Rob Burrett said the launch of the boat is a fantastic development to the country’s tourism destination.
Shearwater got licences to run the activity from Inland Waters, Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority.
The jet boat’s availability will help both police and rescuers in the event there are bodies of people drowned in the river as it sails mainly to where such bodies are deposited by water. — @ncubeleon
Online Reporter