Licenses required by the Bus Captain??
I feel that with some small modification to the front/bow, it wouldn’t plow through the water like it does.
Part of the fun is to dive into the water with as much as possible splash. The driver, just before going into the water, aks whether the passengers want a small or big splash. They always choose for the latter.
I have no information on the licenses required but I suppose that inland water papers will suffice. That is a must as the bus mingles with the sometimes heavy traffic in that part of the river.
I translated some information from their website:
The safety aspect is the common thread in Splashtours’ business operations, the safety of Splashtours is a precondition for the continuity of the company. The amphibian has been approved by the Dutch Shipping Inspectorate, with certificates from Lloyds and the Rijksdienst voor Wegverkeer.
The amphibian is equipped with all necessary safety conditions. The Splashtours crew has been trained as emergency response officers. This training consists of firefighting, evacuation, CPR and first aid in case of accidents. In addition, the crew is continuously given additional training to ensure that the passengers are safe at all times.
Besides the fact that Splashtours itself puts a lot of effort into safety, there are of course numerous requirements and laws that Splashtours must comply with, below are a number of requirements.
- Rules for the bus driver
- Rules for the bus operator
- Rules for the bus
- Shipping Inspection Rules
It is clearly a completely story from that of the bathtub Duck operators.
OK so the Driver/Captain requires a Bus Drive License, but what about maritime license?
STCW Class…??
I sent an e-mail to Splashtours with that question.
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There was a quick response which is unusual these days:
Our bus is approved for zone 3/4 waters. However, our bus has been developed for zone 2 waters. The bus is inspected four times a year by the Dutch Maritime Inspectorate.
Our skippers have a large boating license and of course the bus driver’s license.
The standards for the zones are as follows:
Zone 0: wave height > 2 m
Zone 1: wave height between 1.2 m and 2.0 m
Zone 2: wave height between 0.6 m and 1.2 m
Zone 3: wave height up to 0.6 m
Zone 4: no wave height given
Zone 2 are the estuaries, Dollard, Eems, Wester Schelde. There is a whole list of these areas.
I’m not a stability expert but… it sure doesn’t look kosher.
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Incomparable with those Duck boats. You might say that the Splashbus is designed as a real ship and then disguised as a bus.
Am sure they are much safer than the duck boats. Still, not on my short list to buy a ticket.
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Aspect ratio on the video is distorted – they’re not nearly so tall compared to beam.
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And what does this mean?
With a Large Boat Licence, you are allowed to sail on all inland waterways. You need a Large Boat License if you want to sail ships with a length of at least 40 meters that are used or intended for commercial transport and passenger ships (commercial transport of more than 12 passengers).