There are a few changes to our usual schedule and we plan to leave a little later on New Year’s Day – to give everyone a chance to recover from the celebrations the night before!

Please take a look at our Christmas and New Year diving schedule (changes to the usual schedule are in BOLD):

• 20/12/10 – Monday – Koh Haa / Hin Daeng / Hin Muang
• 21/12/10 – Tuesday – Ko Haa / Ko Phi Phi
• 22/12/10 – Wednesday – Ko Haa / Hin Daeng / Hin Muang
• 23/12/10 – Thursday – Ko Haa / Ko Rok
• 24/12/10 – Friday – Ko Haa / Ko Phi Phi
• 25/12/10 – Saturday – Ko Haa / Hin Daeng / Hin Muang
• 26/12/10 – Sunday – Ko Haa / Ko Rok
• 27/12/10 – Monday – Ko Haa / Hin Daeng / Hin Muang
• 28/12/10 – Tuesday – Ko Haa / King Cruiser Wreck
• 29/12/10 – Wednesday – Ko Haa / Hin Daeng / Hin Muang
• 30/12/10 – Thursday – Ko Haa / Ko Rok
• 31/12/10 – Friday – Ko Haa / Hin Daeng / Hin Muang
• 01/01/11 – Saturday – Ko Haa / Ko Haa Night Dive – LATE DEPARTURE 12:00pm
• 02/01/11 – Sunday – Ko Haa / Ko Rok
• 03/01/11 – Monday – Ko Haa / Hin Daeng / Hin Muang
• 04/12/11 – Tuesday – Ko Haa / King Cruiser Wreck

If you’re interested in any of the above trips, please do not hesitate to call or pop into the shop for more information. We look forward to seeing you soon to celebrate with us!

Celebrate the festive season underwater!! …and bring in the new year with some deep sea adventures!

Well lets think about why we re-powered the boat, we wanted a more comfortable ride for our customers, lower emissions, reliability and to save money by reducing fuel consumption.

As the customers board, the boat looks almost the same as last season except the big shiny Suzuki’s purring quietly away at the back.

I often receive a few comments from customers who are boat enthusiasts like, “Nice engines mate”, “300’s, Wow”, you know the kind of comments… So I’m sitting at the back of the boat, waiting for someone to listen to my boat stories, but really no-one gives a damn.

It’s not until we move away that people start to notice the lack of engine noise and absence of exhaust smoke. Then I get the chance to tell them about the conversion and the improvements we’ve seen. Comparing her new Suzuki engines to the Yamahas from last year isn’t really possible, its like comparing a Ford Escort to a Mercedes, if you see what I mean, it’s just not possible!

Firstly, remember Scubafish is a 43ft boat (quite big), she’s now cruising at about 20-21 knots using about 90-100 ltrs/ hour with an amazing 31 knots with the throttle fully open. Good fun but very thirsty – doubling fuel consumption. Comparing this with the old two stroke Yamaha’s, we are saving an amazing 45-50%. Oh yes, technology!!!!

Secondly, reliability. This one is not so easy to answer, but I will try!
Gearboxes seem to be the weak link in all big outboard engines. When researching purchasing these engines, I talked at length about gearbox reliability with Derani Yachts and they seemed pretty confident. Imagine their surprise and mine, not to mention the disappointment, when the first gearbox seized after 36 hours of running time, then the second shortly after.

Derani pulled out all the stops to get boat up and running, for which I’m hugely grateful to Hakan, Marcus and the Derani team. Suzuki admitted there was a problem and we are now running modified gearboxes which seem, fingers crossed, to be running smoothly, as designed. I have added a picture of the damaged gearbox, so you can see the damage; I have further info and pictures outlining the problem if anyone is interested.
Apart from the initial problems with the gearboxes, the engines run like a dream, routine maintenance is carried out by ourselves and is very straight forward.

So after spending a hefty 2,000,000 baht am I happy? Yes!! The fuel saving alone will mean we can re-coup the full investment after about 2 seasons. The ride is now more comfortable for the divers due to the low-emissions and low noise, the Captain has a grin the size of the boat and the engineer sits waiting and waiting (no tinkering required!), also with a grin the size of the boat. Boys and their toys… Perfect!

Derani Yachts, based in Boat Lagoon, Phuket are making the conversion. Thailands premier Suzuki marine dealers have commited themselves to the new engines due to increasing demand for large outboard powered boats. With knowlegable and experienced staff at hand to answer any questions, Derani Yachts and Suzuki marine are proving to be the perfect partnership in high output, low emissions engines! Information was dealt with promptly and directly, plus having years of combined marine experience have given me the confidence to convert my dive cruiser to the new, and lets face it, expensive technology. Hakan Lange, Managing Director of Derani yachts is fully confident of Suzuki’s new DF300 in our fully commercial role!

My excitement cannot be contained! Promising reduced emissions, improved fuel consumption and huge power will propel MY Scubafish to an estimated top speed of 35 knots, economically cruising at around 24 knots, making her the biggest, fastest, smoothest high speed dive cruiser of all, definitely in Ko Lanta and possibly Thailand.

Information after sea trials (max speed, fuel consumption, cruising speed and eventually reliability considerations), photos of MY Scubafish modifications and recorded statistics will of course be available as the project gains pace and most importantly feedback from the real critiques, our divers!

For now, Good Diving! Mr D

Scubafish

The Natural Guide Eco-Rating Criteria:

1. ‘Traveller-Friendly’: The hotel or activity provides an enjoyable experience for travellers who appreciate nature and local cultures.

2. ‘Nature-Friendly’: The operation is designed and managed in a way that reduces negative environmental impact and enhances environmental conservation.

3. ‘Community-Friendly’: The operation contributes to the welfare of local people and enhances local culture.

Eco-Tips for the Responsible Traveller:

Fly Less, Take your Time
Air travel is responsible for 3 to 4% of the greenhouse gas emissions causing global warming. Flying to the other end of the world for a week of holidays is not sustainable. Instead, travel less often, and spend more time to discover each place. When flying, participate in a carbon offset program to help reducing global warming.

Learn about the Ecology
The more you know about the local environment, the less likely we are to step on an endangered flower or buy handicrafts made of the skin of a vanishing species. And the more you’ll appreciate the hidden life behind the landscape.

Think before Buying
Unless you’re sure it comes from a well-managed source, avoid buying anything made of wild animal parts (snake skin, tortoise shell…), anything taken from the sea (aquarium fish, shells, corals, etc.) and any furniture made of timber coming from the rainforest. Look for goods with reputable Eco-Labels such as the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or the MAC (Marine Aquarium Council).

Respect the Wildlife
When in any natural environment, especially a protected area, we can easily disturb the wildlife. Keep silent, never remove any plant species, never feed any wild animal, and never get out of recommended trekking routes. Use local guides who know the local ecology. Divers need to be extra careful not to touch any part of the fragile coral reefs.

Save Power and Water
There are many ways to save power and water when travelling. Do we really need air conditioning? Why not appreciate natural ventilation? What about trying a local bus or a bike rather than a four-wheel drive? And of course, turning taps and switches off when not needed is always a good idea – as is not changing towels and sheets everyday.

Leave only Footprints
Waste is accumulating fast in tourism destinations, especially in developing countries with poor waste management. When going to a natural area, bring a plastic bag to bring your waste back – and collect any other waste found along our way. Avoiding plastic bags and plastic bottles also means generating less waste.

Choose Responsible Operators
When choosing a tour operator, a hotel, a trekking guide or a dive club, ask about their responsible tourism policies, and the steps they take to protect the environment. Responsible operators are also more likely to be well managed, take care about safety, and respect their commitments towards travellers.

Support Local Conservation Initiatives
Never hesitate to support local conservation NGOs through donations or volunteer work. Participating in wildlife surveys or reef check programs can also be a more challenging, rewarding way to travel in natural areas.

Can you really, reduce impact on the environment, increase boat performance and ultimately save money on operation costs? All are important considerations when selecting new engines for the Ultimate High-Speed Dive Cruiser!

After hours of internet research and talking to people in the know, I personally think so. This has become my Mission.

Lets get rid of those stinky, noisy, in-efficient 200 HP 2-stroke Yamaha’s, that were the pinnacle of outboard technology maybe ten years ago (and still are in Thailand!) and see what’s really available now..?

I will let you into a secret, outboard technology has raced forward during the last smelly, noisy and expensive 10 years – Welcome Suzuki – leaders in four-stroke outboard technology.

We are currently in negotiations with Suzuki and will hopefully receive the very first set of highly efficient, low emission’s Suzuki V6 DF300’s, into Thailand. They will be installed with fly-by-wire technology to our 43ft high speed dive cruiser ‘MY Scubafish’. The Shallow-V hull design combined with the big, efficient, high output Suzuki’s should also reduce journey times even more and produce a smoother ride with more comfort then ever before, putting us well ahead of the competition.

Scubafish’s concept is the answer to avoiding big-boat slow journey times or cramped ‘break your back’ uncomfortable speedboat rides.

Scubafish runs daily between Hin Deang & Hin Muang, carrying up 23 divers in total comfort. We’re hoping this will make Scubafish the Number One choice for divers in the south of Thailand. Now its just a waiting game, three months i’m told ;-> Sorry!!! .Mr D