VESSEL REVIEW | Qatari tour operator places fast and agile jet boat into service

Spanish boatbuilder Moggaro Aluminium Yachts recently handed over a new fast boat to Drift Mondrian, a tour operator based in Qatar’s capital city of Doha.

The 7.91-metre (25.6-foot) boat is being operated in coastal waters out of Doha Port. Its daily duties revolve around jet boat tours, where passengers get to experience rapid accelerations, tight 360-degree spins, and other manoeuvres not possible with slower, less agile craft.

The boat is optimised for intensive commercial use with minimal downtime between rides.

“The client was looking for a fast, reliable commercial vessel for tourism, capable of performing spectacular manoeuvres such as 360-degree spins and the ‘power brake’, while also being profitable to operate and low in maintenance,” Moggaro told Baird Maritime.

The builder explained that the power brake, also known as the “submarine” manoeuvre, is a sudden emergency stop that has become a popular attribute of boats in the series, as evidenced by video and photo evidence from the company’s other global clients who have been operating similar craft.

“The manoeuvre consists of going from 42 knots to zero in just two seconds, which causes a wave to flood the deck—sometimes partially submerging the vessel.”

Latest example of a proven series

As demand for the series grew after 2012, Moggaro reinforced and optimised the design to endure up to 30 power brakes per day without mechanical or structural issues. During the process, the boat became what the company called a “real-world testbed” for waterjets supplied by Hamilton.

Moggaro added that the boat will enable high turnover through short, intense trips of 12 to 15 minutes each.

“It is easy to operate, extremely stable, and very safe, especially thanks to the waterjet brake system,” the builder said. “With some experience, the boat can even be operated in choppy waters without endangering passengers.”

The builder said the boat fills a very specific gap in the commercial boating market by offering operators, “a highly profitable, low-maintenance platform for delivering short, high-impact tourism experiences,” thus allowing business owners to, “maximise revenue in limited operating hours, with reduced fuel consumption and minimal technical intervention.”

Also, thanks to its durable aluminum construction, the boat is not subjected to the maintenance issues typically encountered by FRP boats being operated in high-use environments.

Responsive propulsion plus comfort-enhancing features

The boat is powered by a Yanmar 6LY440 diesel engine that drives a Hamilton waterjet to deliver a top speed of 42 knots. Moggaro said the propulsion arrangement delivers significantly improved thrust, acceleration and responsiveness, which are crucial for performing the extreme manoeuvres required during high-adrenaline jet boat tours.

The electronics suite meanwhile includes an Icom VHF radio and navigation lights.

“The standard electronics package is designed to be robust, simple, and marine-grade, prioritising reliability and resistance to saltwater and vibration,” said Moggaro. “All components are installed with ease of maintenance and long-term durability in mind.”

Due to the intensive and dynamic use of the vessel in tourism operations, Moggaro fitted the boat with hydraulically damped helm operators’ seats to significantly reduce fatigue and improve control during continuous high-intensity manoeuvres.

To ensure passenger comfort and safety, the boat is fitted with padded seats and cushioned protection around key areas and non-slip rubber flooring for additional grip. Moggaro said these enhancements make the ride both thrilling and safe, thus elevating the overall user experience and ensuring repeated customer satisfaction.

Use of safety- and durability-centric approaches that can also be applied to future projects

For Moggaro, the biggest challenge in designing the vessel was in ensuring it would remain safe and stable under extreme conditions, such as high-speed 360-degree spins and full power brake manoeuvres, while also requiring minimal maintenance.

“We often refer to it as the ‘abuse-resistant’ boat because it is subjected to daily high-intensity manoeuvres,” Moggaro told Baird Maritime. “Ensuring the watertightness of all onboard equipment and the structural durability of the hull was essential to minimising maintenance needs, which is a key factor in making the business model profitable for our customers.”

With regards to the vessel’s construction, the challenge for Moggaro lay in ensuring that the construction quality could withstand extreme, repetitive mechanical stress generated by daily commercial use. Specifically, the boat needed to be able to endure numerous high-load manoeuvres per day, particularly the power brake, which places intense strain on the hull, the propulsion system and the deck structure.

“We had to carefully reinforce critical points of the hull, optimise welds, and ensure perfect watertightness in all compartments and components.”

Another key aspect was the reliability of the hardware that becomes exposed to water, salt, vibration, and impact as a result of the boat's daily operation. Each of these parts therefore had to be both durable and easy to replace to ensure operators could keep the boat running with minimal downtime.

“The boat was built not just to perform, but to perform hard, every day, with minimal maintenance and maximum safety,” said Moggaro.

The work on the vessel taught Moggaro just how far a boat can be pushed to the limit in terms of stability, structural strength, and watertightness.

“This experience has raised our internal standards of quality and safety across all of our designs, regardless of the vessel’s intended use. It has given us complete confidence when delivering a new boat, knowing that our construction and engineering principles have been tested under the most extreme conditions.

"That peace of mind is something we now apply to every project we take on."