From our history
Explorer 22 TDi hovercraft.
The craft that took our Explorers diesel. We no longer build it, but its story shows how our hovercraft have progressed.
Explorer 22 TDi
Our first diesel Explorer.
In 2009 an Alaskan client asked for an Explorer with diesel power, a cabin and heat. We chose the 84 hp VW industrial diesel and scaled the craft up to 22 by 11 feet to suit it. It was the first craft we designed in 3D CAD, using Rhino 3D and SolidWorks.
We built four Explorer 22 TDi craft before VW pulled that engine from the US market. The first one, built in 2010 with a green top, ran in Wrangell, Alaska and the Stikine River delta, and made the trip up the Stikine River to Shakes Lake Glacier. It came back to our shop in 2023 for a complete refit and now provides service in Gates of the Arctic National Park.
Allen Marine also ran Explorer 22s on tours near Juneau.
The Explorer 24 we build today carries that work forward, with a larger cabin and a 164 hp Steyr marine diesel.
Bryan and Angela Phillips in the first Explorer 22 TDi.
Specifications
Explorer 22 TDi at a glance.
For the record, from our 2010 Explorer 22 TDi, the first one built. The Explorer 22 TDi is no longer in production.
| Size | 22 ft x 11 ft |
|---|---|
| Weight | About 1,700 lb |
| Cargo capacity | 1,600 lb |
| Passengers | 8, in an enclosed, heated cabin |
| Engine | VW industrial diesel, 84 hp |
| Speed | 32 mph cruise, 40 mph top |
| Fuel use | 2.2 gal per hour at 30 mph |
| Lighting | LED night driving lights |
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.