Nekton boats may come back!!

[Shasta_man]

I agree that would be a bad business plan which is why I suggest that they didn't build such a boat just to sell trips to people who suffer seasickness but rather as a stable boat for anyone. My personal experience was it was a better platform than most at anchor but worse at sea. Probably less than would be expected from driving a building shaped boat but definitely worse than my other trips. However, as I realize the worst time for seasickness is when you stop and just bob, perhaps that's a significant improvement for those afflicted. Seasickness in a diver is one ironic son of a gun.

My impression was that the custom nature of the boats was what made them costly to maintain.

I'd have to also say thanks to the OP for his decision rather than just going through the same process that has just occurred, only with a new owner.

I tend to choose a country to go to rather than pick a boat to go to so travel cost would be normalized.

 

[Rythmmaker]

What's the latest on this? Are the Nekton boats really going to be back in business? Or is this just wishful thinking?

 

[Rythmmaker]

OK, I belatedly found post #306... (Open mouth, insert foot!)

I never got to give one of them a try, but always wanted to. :blush:

 

[TheMillers]

I would love to see the Nekton boats back in business. They were awesome. Don't know if you are still considering purchasing the boat, but would gladly signup for a cruise. My husband has issues with sea sickness and its great for him. I love all the space and plenty of room to move around. Went on aggressor and was sorely disappointed in the comparison. Also loved it that you could leave out of US. I am in Florida and it made it easy to drive there and get on boat. Did not have to fly. That was added benefit. So would really love to see those boats back in business again. Greatly miss them. Would make plans for this year in a heartbeat. Hope you are still considering purchasing the boat, just read the post today.

 

[daniel1948]

I would love to see the Nekton boats back in business. They were awesome. Don't know if you are still considering purchasing the boat, but would gladly signup for a cruise. My husband has issues with sea sickness and its great for him. I love all the space and plenty of room to move around. Went on aggressor and was sorely disappointed in the comparison. Also loved it that you could leave out of US. I am in Florida and it made it easy to drive there and get on boat. Did not have to fly. That was added benefit. So would really love to see those boats back in business again. Greatly miss them. Would make plans for this year in a heartbeat. Hope you are still considering purchasing the boat, just read the post today.

The OP posted a while back that he has abandoned the project. After due diligence he decided that it would simply cost to much. A lot of us are sorry, since for seasickies it was a great concept. But the boats are in very bad shape, the tourism slump makes filling trips problematic, and they cost a lot of money to run due to the lousy hydrodynamics (the same thing that made them stable).

 

["MC"]

I guess I have to say "whaddaya expect?" It was designed for the Navy where money is no object. I was in the innards of the Rorqual on it's last voyage and I could just see how it'd keep dozens and dozens of low-paid E-2 and E-3 squid paint chippers busy for weeks - not counting the technical doo-dahs it had that could go wrong. I remember the skipper intentionally ran it bow up and listing several degrees to starboard to keep the water level in the pontoons equal for some reason that made sense when he explained it. Sure felt odd on deck, tho.

I say feed 'em to the corals!

 

[diverdoug1]

I sure miss the Nekton of old (not the lowly state they sank to in the end). Both the Pilot and the Rorqual are still in Port St. Joe. I had a lot of fun and over 600 dives on those ships. It is sad to see them rusting away in a shipyard, but it was sadder to go out on them when they were falling apart. I have moved on to other live-aboards, but I remember most of my Nekton trips fondly.

 

[donhealy]

Like Doug, I really enjoyed my time on the Rorqual. And I have also moved on to Explorer Ventures. Sadly, we will never see the square boats in the water again unless its to take them to the "breakers".

I was going through some of my picts the other day and stopped to look at Rorqual in the water one more time while at water Cay. Oh well....

Don

 

[donhealy]

Like Doug, I really enjoyed my time on the Rorqual. And I have also moved on to Explorer Ventures. Sadly, we will never see the square boats in the water again unless its to take them to the "breakers".

I was going through some of my picts the other day and stopped to look at Rorqual in the water one more time while at water Cay. Oh well....

Don

 

[dleiss]

We liked them because they took snorkekers and my wife doesn't dive. And she is not going on a boat trip to just lay in the sun. The food was great, the crew and dive locations were great, the dive platform was simply fantastic.