It's a boat. And a bus. And a duck - a super duck, to be precise.
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Staff photo by John Patriquin
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Super Duck One cruises Portland Harbor just as easily as it makes its way through Old Port streets.
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SUPER DUCK
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When: Between 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., but tours run according to the tides (it can only take off and come ashore at higher tides), so call ahead and reserve. There are usually five or six tours a day.
How much: Adults: $20
Children (12 and under): $15
Seniors (over 65): $15
6 and under with parent are free
Where: There is a booth on Commercial Street, near the intersection with Franklin St. (across from the Casco Bay Lines ferry terminal).
How long: About one hour, 15 minutes
More: (207) 773-DUCK
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Super Duck One is Portland's first duck boat, a tour vehicle that can travel on land and on water. The 39-foot boat/bus is scheduled to transport its first passengers on Friday afternoon.
"I can't wait to give it a spin," said Rich Imbeault, one of the seven captains employed by Super Duck Tours.
Duck boats are popular in other waterfront cities, such as Boston, but Super Duck Tours will be the first such business in Maine. Operations Manager Jonathan Radtke said Portland is a natural place for such a business.
"You've got a beautiful city, a beautiful bay," he said. "This is the perfect place to do it."
Radtke is not just banking on summer tourists to fill Super Duck One. Residents of Portland will receive a 10 percent discount on tickets. "This is the new adventure in town. We'd like everyone to be able to hop on," he said.
Radtke said he has worked closely with Herb Adams, a local historian, to make the tour interesting for anybody, including native Portlanders.
"We don't want this to be some boring history tour," he said. "We want people in Portland to take a ride, and maybe they'll be surprised about what they learn about their town."
Super Duck One is actually a modified truck, and was "designed specifically to meet all the standards for passenger vehicles," said Radtke. Most other duck boats are modified military vehicles, which can have years of wear and tear on them.
"This is the safest, most dependable way to go," he said. "It's as close to unsinkable as any boat can be.
The boat can accommodate 49 passengers and two crew members - one driver and one tour guide. Super Duck Tours has a second boat being built.
The duck boat is classified as both a boat and a commercial vehicle, so all of the captains of Super Duck Tours were required to go to commercial drivers' school.
"It's actually more maneuverable than a school bus," Imbeault said.
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Staff photo by John Patriquin
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Super Duck Tours has launched a new tour service that will take passengers on tours of Portland on both land and sea, starting from the corner of Commercial and Franklin streets. |
On Tuesday, the boat passed the first of two Coast Guard inspections. The second inspection will take place on Friday, and Radtke said the company will waste no time in getting Super Duck One on land and into the water.
Tours are expected to last about 90 minutes. They will go through the Old Port and enter the water off the Eastern Promenade. Even when the vessel is in the water, passengers won't be required to wear life jackets.
Radtke said the boat is very stable and there should be few worries for people prone to seasickness.
A ticket booth will be set up on the corner of Franklin and Commercial streets. The cost will be $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and children younger than 12. Children six and younger will be able to ride free with a parent.
Staff Writer can be contacted at 791-6329 or at:
jfish@pressherald.com
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