The Saugeen Shores Marine Heritage Society (MHS) is upgrading its tour boat.
MHS Board Chair Wayne Kaufman says they installed upgrades to the 26-foot Peerless II vessel on May 6 after the engine had been in use for 14 years.
He says the upgraded vessel will also be supporting the Saugeen Shores Fire Department in responding to emergencies on the water.
“In partnership with the local fire department, they want to use the boat as a reserve search and rescue on the water. Their preference was to have twin engines on it so we investigated and we were able to put twin 200’s on the back of it with state-of-the-art joystick controls,” says Kaufman. “While we hope lake rescues of boaters and swimmers are few, the Peerless II stands ready for our local fire and safety crews as their training needs and public emergencies arise.”
He says the upgrades to the vessel ensure safety and precise manoeuvrability at slow speeds.
“The new system offers fuel efficiency and other advantages,” says Kaufman. “But the ultimate benefits will be safety and reliability over years to comes, which are equally important to our partners at Saugeen Fire and Emergency Services.”
The vessel transports visitors between Southampton Harbour and Chantry Island from June to September each year, and just over two decades, the MHS as offered tours to over 25,000 people.
The upgrades for the boat were purchased equally between the fire department and the MHS.
