Cruise West Takes Delivery of Two Boats from Demaree

Demaree Inflatable Boats Inc. (DIB) has delivered two 19-ft. Ship-to-Shore boats to Cruise West, a small-ship cruise line based in Seattle, Wash. Cruise West purchased these USCG-approved, inflatable hull, rigid deck boats to transport passengers and equipment ashore during winter and spring excursions from California to Mexico.

Each boat is powered by a single Yanmar 36 hp outboard diesel motor.

Cruise West already owns four DIB boats purchased in 1998. With the new deliveries, the company now has three DIB boats stationed on the 192-ft., 96-guest Spirit of 98 and three stationed on the 217-ft., 102-guest Spirit of Endeavor.

Colin Leech, boat engineer for Cruise West said, “The Ship-to-Shore boats give us the capability to ferry passengers and equipment to secluded beaches that can’t be easily reached any other way. Each boat can take up to 12 passengers and two crew members, plus barbeque grills, beach chairs, umbrellas, and other equipment as needed. We store the Ship-to-Shores fully inflated on the boat decks and then launch them by davit as needed.”

Dave Demaree, President of Demaree Inflatable Boats said, “Cruise West is known for offering top notch adventure travel excursions to remote locations, so we are naturally pleased with their expanded use of our Ship-to-Shore boats. The Ship-to-Shore is an extremely rugged boat that provides greater stability in shore landings and choppy seas than similar sized mono-hull designs.”

The DIB Ship-to-Shore received U.S. Coast Guard certification in September 1996, making it the first hard deck, soft hull boat certified by the US Coast Guard, to carry more than six passengers to shore in US waters. The Ship-to-Shore is available in two standard lengths: 19-ft. (used by Cruise West), and 22-ft. (preferred by some cruise lines for their larger boats).

Although the Ship-to-Shore works with a wide variety of motors, the manufacturer recommends a 55 hp tiller control for the primary motor, with a 10 hp auxiliary motor. Fully loaded with a 55 hp motor, the boat operates at a cruising speed of 10 knots.