Marine

Sealegs introduces the largest amphibious production boat in the world

Sealegs introduces the largest amphibious production boat in the world
According to Sealegs, the 12m Cabin RIB is not only the largest boat it has produced, but the largest amphibious production boat in the world
According to Sealegs, the 12m Cabin RIB is not only the largest boat it has produced, but the largest amphibious production boat in the world
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A range of layout options are available for the 12m Cabin RIB
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A range of layout options are available for the 12m Cabin RIB
The dining area inside the 12m Cabin RIB
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The dining area inside the 12m Cabin RIB
According to Sealegs, the very first 12m Cabin RIB has already been sold to a client in Europe
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According to Sealegs, the very first 12m Cabin RIB has already been sold to a client in Europe
A render of the interior of the 12m Cabin RIB
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A render of the interior of the 12m Cabin RIB
A render of the interior of the 12m Cabin RIB
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A render of the interior of the 12m Cabin RIB
A look inside the cabin of the 12m Cabin RIB
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A look inside the cabin of the 12m Cabin RIB
According to Sealegs, the 12m Cabin RIB is not only the largest boat it has produced, but the largest amphibious production boat in the world
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According to Sealegs, the 12m Cabin RIB is not only the largest boat it has produced, but the largest amphibious production boat in the world
View gallery - 7 images

New Zealand boatbuilding company Sealegs has graced our pages with a long line of interesting amphibious watercraft over the past decade and a half, but none with the footprint of the forthcoming 12m Cabin RIB. Sealegs says the newly announced boat is not only the largest it has produced, but the largest amphibious production boat in the world, with a 12-meter (40-ft) length and enough space aboard for 12 people.

As the world's largest commercial-grade amphibious watercraft, the Sealegs 12m Cabin RIB boasts some beefy machinery to help it move through the water and across dry land, all drawing juice from a 500-liter (132 gal) fuel tank.

According to Sealegs, the very first 12m Cabin RIB has already been sold to a client in Europe
According to Sealegs, the very first 12m Cabin RIB has already been sold to a client in Europe

This starts with hydraulic wheel motors built into the 500-mm-wide (20-in) tires that deliver 9,000 Nm (6,638 lb-ft) of torque and all-wheel drive, and make for a top land speed of 8 km/h (5 mph). Once the boat hits the water, a pair of twin 400-hp outboard motors take over and propel the boat to a top speed of almost 40 knots (46 mph, 74 km/h.

A range of layouts are available for the 12m Cabin RIB, with options for up to four berths and a fully enclosed and lockable cabin fitted with panoramic windows. Also onboard is an electric sun roof and a galley complete with a stove, sink and fridge and toilet.

The dining area inside the 12m Cabin RIB
The dining area inside the 12m Cabin RIB

Depending on how the customer chooses to configure their vessel, the Sealegs 12m Cabin RIB can accommodate as many as 12 people including the driver, with a retractable boarding platform letting folks easily hop on and off.

According to Sealegs the very first unit has already been sold to a client in Europe and it plans to kick off deliveries of the 12m Cabin RIB in 2021.

Source: Sealegs

View gallery - 7 images
3 comments
3 comments
guzmanchinky
The uses for this are so mind blowingly small it's hard to imagine exactly who the client would be? But very cool nevertheless...
Jeff7
The clients are probably the thousands of boat owners who don’t want to buy an old, noisy tractor to tow their boat to the ramp or risk gettting the Range Rover stuck in the sand because the beach is pretty muddy or having to dunk the back of the Land cruiser into the sea because the ramp is so shallow or anyone who needs to retrieve a boat when the tide is out. Yeah, who would need one?
Joanne Kenyon
Not mind blowingly small. I live waterfront on an Island. Have an 8.5 metre one. Jump in, drive it in, commute to the mainland, drive it up the ramp and park. Many people not waterfront drive them on the road to fuel up or get to their close by home. Emergency services use them, airports are customers. Keeping the boat out of the water needs way less maintenance and not at risk in storms or having to compete for limited mooring licences. You need a ramp or not too muddy beach. Can do reasonable slopes. Our island is 9000 residents and there are something like 120 Sealegs owners. Superyacht owners also have them. They are more expensive than a non amphibious boat but for us way more practical. No tender needed to get everything on and off the boat, very useful in inclement weather and with kids, oldies and dogs.