VESSEL REVIEW | Uncle Li – New support boat for Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club

The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC) recently took delivery of a new mark-laying and committee boat built by UK-based Seaward Boats to a design by TT Boat Designs.

The vessel is the second in a series of three Seaward-built boats to be handed over to the RHKYC. It is named Uncle Li in honour of Li Fook Hing, a former Vice Patron of the RHKYC who had been a member of the club for 49 years until his death in 2020.

The new boat measures 10 by three metres and can reach speeds of up to 10.3 knots. As the vessel’s design was originally developed for use by pilot launches, the hull form ensures a soft ride as well as excellent handling even in difficult sea conditions.

The vessel’s aft deck is spacious enough to accommodate an assortment of loads including passengers and small buoys. An electronics suite that also includes a Raymarine radar draws power from solar panels. The wheelhouse meanwhile has seating for up to four people.

Boarding and disembarkation are done via the aft deck while the foredeck and the wheelhouse sides are free of obstructions to allow personnel to walk along it, though the wheelhouse itself is also fitted with handrails to provide added safety for the occupants.

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