Passenger and tour hovercraft
Passenger and tour hovercraft.
The Explorer 24 carries up to twelve passengers in a fully enclosed cabin, to glaciers, beaches and shores that a boat cannot reach.
Where they work
Carrying passengers from Alaska to the Seychelles.
Allen Marine in Juneau ran the first three Explorer 24s, carrying cruise ship passengers out to the Taku Glacier. Our craft also work for commercial clients in Canada and Portland, Maine, take visitors across the Seychelles, and move 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 at the Taku Glacier, Juneau.
On the beach in the Seychelles.
Boarding passengers in northern Canada.
Employee transport in South Texas.
The ride
Built for a paying passenger.
Passengers ride in a fully enclosed cabin with seating for ten to twelve. At cruise the craft flies 16.5 inches above the surface and leaves virtually no wake, so it runs past the shore and over tide flats without washing anything out.
- Lands on a beach, a gravel bar or a lawn, so you do not need a dock
- Brakes that let the pilot slow and turn, for a gentle, precise landing. See how the brake works.
- Carries 12 adults or 2,400 lb, including fuel and gear
- Rated for waves up to 4 feet and comfortable in a 2 foot chop
- Saltwater capable, with a hull built with no wood anywhere in it
Inside the Explorer 24 cabin.
Running costs
About $60 an hour to run, fuel included.
The Explorer 24 runs on a 164 hp Steyr marine diesel that cruises at 32 mph on half throttle, burning about 3.4 gallons an hour. Typical running cost, including fuel, is about $60 an hour. That leaves room in a tour ticket, and it is why operators can run seven days a week.
About $60 per hour
3.4 gal per hour
32 mph cruise
2 years or 1,000 hours warranty
A skirt lasts about 1,500 to 2,000 hours. For heavy duty work over barnacle covered rock and oyster beds, we weld on urethane wear reinforcements. The FAQ covers upkeep and what a craft costs to buy.
Landed on a beach for a picnic, with no dock needed.
Carrying passengers
We work to your local rules.
In the United States
Most of our U.S. clients operate under a six-pack, or Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) license. It limits them to six passengers, but it removes nearly all of the paperwork and red tape.
Outside the United States
For international clients we work with the local requirements. We did this for our Canadian client, so they could carry 12 passengers in commercial operation, and for our client in the Seychelles.
We also train your pilots and provide maintenance and repair. Our ground deployment trailer launches the craft where there is no ramp.
Passenger and tour hovercraft
Tell us about your route.
Call or email with where you want to run, how many passengers you plan to carry and the season. We will send the brochure with pricing.