We are often asked “How big is the boat we are going out on?” by potential customers. It has become apparent than when it comes to boats SIZE MATTERS!
Our vessel, Crusader 1 is a very large, Australian made, commercial vessel, that has been transformed from it’s “work-horse” origins to be the ideal platform for all manner of recreational tourism activities. All without sacrificing it’s commercial heritage of extreme safety and reliability so obviously needed in the commercial sector. With it’s much greater weight and heavy duty construction, she instantly provides the quality voyage experience you expect from a quality vessel.
Measuring a substantial 55 foot (over 17 meters!). Crusader 1 provides it’s passengers with a large open main-deck ensuring you have plenty of room to move about. In addition the bow section has been updated and is a great spot (awesome to relax on the beanbags we use there for cruises!). The bow even has it’s own table for your drinks and nibbles! All this space and we only take 22 passengers (+ 3 crew) on our open ocean cruises and charters!
Another ideal component of our vessel is that Crusader 1 is “an open deck boat” (not fully enclosed unless we need clears for unexpected weather). This means you always have the fresh air to enjoy and will never feel “closed in”!. Our main deck level is about 1.5 m from the water level. This is the perfect height when it comes to both whale watching and cruising. And it has the added benefit that it ensures you do not get a lot of the “rolling” action taller and double story vessels often suffer from. The open deck layout also ensures you can easily follow the whales around the boat, making sure you never miss out on getting a great viewing experience, regardless of which side of the boat they are on.
Crusader 1’s deep keel further helps give her a smooth stable gliding action through the water, further reducing any swaying tendencies, which is so often the reason people feel seasick on vessels.
And finally, Crusader 1 has a “Dry Stack” exhaust setup. Just like the large cruise ships, we do not have our exhaust open up on the water line or under the water like the vast majority of smaller vessels do. These “wet exhausts” are popular because they are a lot less expensive to install and maintain. But there are 2 major downsides to them.
1. Fumes come back on board. When underway a vessel creates a low pressure area at it’s stern (the rear of the boat). This in turn then “sucks” the rising exhaust fumes from the water level back onto the deck. Studies have shown that up to 80% of sea-sickness can be directly attributed to these fumes! Our fumes are dissipated well above the deck height and cannot be drawn back down onto the vessel. So it’s cleaner (and quieter!).
2. Studies have shown that whales are not comfortable with loud noises underwater. And an open exhaust pipe into the water is very noisy! No doubt this is why we so often see the whales head straight towards our vessel. The only sound underwater is the gentle rhythm of a v8 engine idling.
So in short, Crusader 1 is a (very) big, safe and comfortable vessel with heaps of space, catering for only a small number of passengers! It ensures everyone gets a great trip every time.
