Part of our investment programme was a new boat. Regularly, conducting diving operations from a small boat is a necessity or a requirement. Making a diver swim 100 metres first because the van can’t be set up is soon irresponsible. Time and again, in the risk analysis, we ended up with a risk score that was far too high.

 

But the choice of the “dive boat” was anything but obvious. The divers expect sufficient space in the boat to be able to set up all equipment neatly and then additional space to be able to work, change clothes and preferably some protection from the weather. That soon makes the boat so big that you can’t take it on a trailer across the road behind the van. Another concern is being able to launch the boat easily and safely. If you keep having to hire a telescopic crane to put the boat in the water and take it out again, the diving operation quickly becomes very expensive and time-consuming.

 

So a compromise combining as many requirements as possible. It became a Whaly over 5 metres long and 2 metres wide. It is an unsinkable plastic boat, powered by a 10-hp outboard engine and equipped with a nose that opens.

We hope our divers will enjoy it a lot.