Funtastic Cruises Yeppoon adds new all-weather boat to their fleet

A Capricorn Coast business has added a third boat to their fleet and it has been uniquely engineered and designed to be taken out in all kinds of weather and sea conditions. VIDEO.

There’s a new boat in the water and it’s ready for all kinds of adventures, no matter the weather.

Funtastic Cruises, run by local brothers Carl and Oliver Heales, have just added a new 12m vessel to their fleet, and will offer a new market of island hopping and snorkelling day trips.

The boat itself is a world-first in the engineering design, Carl said.

“The hull design itself is very unique in the manner in which it manages all conditions and varying conditions from rough weather to smooth weather to various swells and sea state,” he said.

Carl Heales of Funtastic Cruises operating the new boat.

The concept for the boat began about five years ago and it has been three-and-a-half years in the design and making, and 11 months for the build in Victoria.

The goal was to create a boat that could be taken out in the water in all weather and conditions, give people a comfortable and safe ride and be environmentally friendly, as well.

“It is extremely fuel efficient; the fuel efficiency is well under half of what a regular boat of this size and capacity would manage,” Carl said.

The boat’s maiden voyage was on Thursday, November 23 to Great Keppel Island, passing Butterfish Bay and Secret Beach.

It then passed Middle Island.

Although the weather from the Rosslyn Bay Marina to Great Keppel Island was 17 knots, with 1.5 metres swells with winds from the north-easterly, in what Carl described as “chaotic conditions”, the boat made it over in 16.5 minutes.

The new boat pulling up for a beach landing at Secret Beach.

Most boats wouldn’t even go out in that weather, Carl said. 

The new boat will be used for island hopping day trips, something which isn’t offered widely for The Keppels.

“We will head out from the marina but we will do island pick ups from Great Keppel Island and Pumpkin Island and take clients around to do the various snorkelling areas,” Carl said.

“That there in itself is going to open up a whole different market for the people to be out and about, quickly, efficiently.”

There will also be private groups, which have been dubbed “Beach Club”.

“We will go to the various snorkelling spots, set up BBQs on the beach, floating platforms and lounge chairs … they can sit in the water and have a couple of drinks,” Carl said.

The new Funtastic Cruises boat the Keppel Bay Marina.

It’s been a big few months for Funtastic Cruises’ three boats, which Carl kicked off seven years ago with only one vessel.

They added Keppel Dive and Watersports, which is based from a hut at Great Keppel Island, four months ago.

The staff have also expanded from two to 15 in total, of which 80 per cent are female and 85 per cent of the skippers are female.

“We’re building our employment at the moment, we have employed another three, four in the last few weeks and we’re looking for skippers, coxswain and deckies,” Carl said.

They are also expanding to Townsville and will have two boats, another one exactly the same as their new one, and a 52-seat catamaran with two decks.

The business, which will be called Funtastic Cruises NQ has received state government funding through the Visitor First Experience Fund.

“We’re really excited about it,” Carl said.

The message Carl wanted to emphasise is that “Great Keppel Island is open for business”.

“We have some of the most beautiful reefs and beaches on the Eastern Seaboard in and around this area,” he said.

“People should know that and come out and enjoy it.”