New technology out of New Zealand is propelling a local boat builder into new markets.
Last week saw the launch of two boats built by Daigle Marine with water jet technology. Representatives from the Campbell River and Vancouver boating scene as well as Rod McDonald from the New Zealand Consulate came out to christen the two new boats on Feb. 15.
The Eaglecraft boats, that were custom built for a company out of Vancouver, are making a splash here in Canada as well as in New Zealand, as these Campbell River-made boats were specially built to take advantage of waterjets.
“Essentially waterjets make a large, well-built boat perform like a sports car.” says Chris Choich representative for the New Zealand company HamiltonJet in Canada. “Eaglecraft is a premiere boat builder in Canada, it was a natural fit for us to work together.”
This sentiment was echoed by Drew Hemmingson, Operations Manager for Tymac Launch Services out of Vancouver – the company that commissioned the boats, “If you’re going to get a boat built on the West Coast you go to Daigle Marine. Today’s launch is a great day for us.
“These are some of the best preforming boats we’ve ever commissioned.”
Daigle Marine is an example of one of many companies throughout Campbell River with a reputation and success that goes well beyond the geographic bounds of the city. A representative from the New Zealand consulate was also at the launch to support the New Zealand jet technology that power these boats.
“This is our first large project that involves waterjets. We’ve worked really closely with HamiltonJet to make this as successful as it is,” said a satisfied Steve Daigle.
The boats will leave Campbell River this week to their new home in Vancouver.
“We worked closely with all the stakeholders in these boats, and the results clearly demonstrate what can be done when people pulling together as a team,” says Michael Gardiner, Jet Champion and HamiltonJet distributor.
A demonstration of the waterjet power technology was put on last week.