Passenger and commercial hovercraft
Explorer 24 passenger hovercraft
Twelve people in a heated cabin, 32 mph on 3.4 gallons an hour, and a saltwater capable hull that has run all the way to the Arctic.
The download leaves out prices. For the brochure with pricing, send us a request.
12
Passengers in a fully enclosed cabin
32 mph
Cruise at half throttle, 47 mph top speed
3.4 gph
Diesel burn at cruise
16.5 in
Hard clearance over rocks, ice and mud
Overview
The most efficient saltwater hovercraft we know of.
The Explorer 24 is built for revenue work: tourist excursions, crew and supply runs, and access to places a boat cannot reach at low tide. We kept the design simple and used high quality materials so it costs less to run and less to maintain.
It rides on a pressurized cushion of air 16.5 inches above the surface and leaves virtually no wake at cruise. A Steyr commercial marine diesel makes 164 hp and pushes it along at 32 mph on half throttle. The hull is resin infused marine foam, glass fiber, carbon and epoxy, with no wood anywhere in it.
With an operating range of about 325 miles, this design has run 1,400 miles from Seattle to Juneau up the Inside Passage and 1,800 miles to the Arctic Ocean.
The cockpit, with room for a crew of two up front.
What sets it apart
Built around the job, not the brochure.
Brakes that steer
Operator controlled brakes vent the forward skirt compartments so the craft slows, stops and pivots smoothly. You will not find this on another hovercraft.
A cabin people want to ride in
Fully enclosed, with heat standard and seating for ten to twelve. Air conditioning, sound insulation and marine flooring are available.
Diesel power, belt drive
The Steyr 164 hp turbo diesel drives the lift fan and propeller through urethane and carbon fiber belts on hard anodized pulleys.
No wood, lots of flotation
Resin infused composite hull with three sealed compartments that give 5,000 lb of flotation.
Folds for the road
The craft folds down to 8.5 feet wide on its own for trailering, and can ride a galvanized ground deployment trailer.
Quiet for its size
A large 84 inch propeller uses the power efficiently, so noise stays far below what most hovercraft make.
Where it works
Commercial, rescue, recreation and government use.
Commercial
- Tourist operations, resorts and eco tours
- Hunting and fishing guide services
- Oyster and clam harvesting
- Surveys, pipelines and drilling
- Crew and supply transport
Search and rescue
- Ice rescue for people and animals
- Mud rescue
- Flood water rescue, clear of floating debris and swift current
Recreation
- Fishing, fly fishing, ice fishing and trolling
- Tender for larger vessels
- Duck hunting, exploring and camping
Government
- Mosquito and noxious weed abatement
- Tidal research and monitoring
- Oil spill response
- Wildlife, pollution and wetland surveys
Operators
Running today from Alaska to Texas.
Explorer 24s carry cruise ship passengers to the Taku Glacier for Allen Marine in Juneau, work for commercial clients in Canada and Portland, Maine, carry tourists around the Seychelles, and provide employee transport, moving tens of thousands of employees back and forth to work every year. An Anchorage based tour company also ran Explorer 24 hovercraft tours.
Allen Marine, Taku Glacier, Juneau
Hovercraft tours, Anchorage
Canada
Portland, Maine
Seychelles
South Texas
Specifications
Explorer 24 specifications.
Specifications from the current Explorer 24 brochure
| Cushion | 24 ft x 11 ft (6.7 m x 3.4 m), 227 sq ft (18.9 m²) |
|---|---|
| Length overall | 26 ft (7.9 m) |
| Cockpit space | 153 in x 76 in (388 cm x 193 cm) |
| Height off cushion | 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) |
| Hard clearance | 16.5 in (41.9 cm) |
| Trailering width | Folds automatically to 8.5 ft (2.6 m) |
| Payload | 12 adults or 2,400 lb (1,100 kg), including people, fuel and gear |
| Empty weight | 2,300 lb (1,045 kg) |
| Speed | 32 mph (51.5 kph) cruise, 47 mph (75 kph) maximum on flat calm water |
| Fuel use | 3.4 gal (12.8 L) per hour at cruise |
| Range | About 325 miles |
| Sea conditions | 4 ft (1.2 m) maximum safe wave height, sea state 3. Comfortable in a 2 ft chop and 20 to 25 knots of wind |
| Temperature range | -22 °F to 105 °F (-30 °C to 40.5 °C) |
| Hull | Resin infused laminate of structural marine foam, glass fiber, carbon and epoxy. Three sealed compartments with 5,000 lb (2,270 kg) of flotation. No wood |
| Engine | Steyr marine diesel, 164 hp (120 kW), 4 cylinder, 2.1 L, turbocharged and intercooled |
| Drive | Urethane and carbon fiber belts on hard anodized aluminum pulleys, through a flexible coupling |
| Thrust propeller | 84 in (213 cm), 3 blade, adjustable pitch composite |
| Lift fan | 34 in, 12 blade, adjustable pitch nylon |
| Skirt | Multi-compartment with fore and aft partitions, large bag skirt on sides and rear. 40/23 oz dual weight urethane, nylon reinforced, about 1,500 to 2,000 hours of life. For heavy duty work over barnacle covered rock and oyster beds, we hot air weld urethane reinforcements onto the wear areas |
| Brakes | Operator controlled. Reduce pressure in the two forward compartments for smooth slowing, stopping and turning |
| Noise | 83 to 84 dBA measured at 82 ft (25 m) over grass |
| Warranty | 2 years or 1,000 hours, whichever comes first |
Options
Set it up for your operation.
Full carbon fiber construction and cabin heat come standard. Call for factory direct pricing on the options below.
- Engine driven air conditioning and heat, 30,000 BTU
- Doppler radar with 12 inch display, on a carbon radar and LED light mast
- LED driving lights on the radar mast
- Interior sound insulation and marine flooring
- Galvanized ground deployment trailer
- Heat bonded urethane skirt wear patches
- Hand held hot air skirt welder kit
- Second boarding ladder
- Steyr engine display, roof grab rails, hatch and camouflage paint
Passenger seating, looking aft.
Prices are FOB Shelton, Washington and do not include shipping. We prefer payment by wire transfer and also accept money orders. Personal checks need five business days to clear. PayPal adds a 3% processing charge. Our labor rate is $137 per hour. Prices and specifications are subject to change.
Explorer 24
See more of the Explorer 24.
Talk to the builder
Tell us the job, and we will tell you which craft fits it, or build one that does.
Call or email with where you operate, how many people or how much weight you need to carry, and when you need it.