A houseboat made in Sicamous will soon be sailing the rivers between Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Twin Anchors Marine rep Georgina Kyllo says the company was approached by the Russian firm of Trade Marine to create a boat with a sleek “Euro” design.
“The houseboat is designed for day use on the rivers and lakes between St Petersburg and Moscow and differs in many way from what we usually build,” says Kyllo, who says she’s proud of the design team that produced what the Russian company wanted using moulds instead of the usual flat wall panels.
To accomplish this look Twin Anchors Marine built a 40X10 adjustable mould table that allows them to build large shaped panels with Fiberglass mat, foam core and resin through a vacuum bag process.
Neil Gilbert from Kelowna of Gilbert Design produced a conceptual drawing and Twin Anchors Marine developed the construction drawings in a 3D drawing program.
Another first for Twin Anchors Marine is their compliance with 220V wiring, which is not required in Russia but is for the rest of Europe.
The sleek design included flush mounted glass, padded vinyl interior walls, faux teak decks and stainless bumpers.
The interior is luxurious and modern including stainless steel fridge, compact dishwasher, stove top and microwave.
The design allows guests to relax in the galley and upper decks separate from a kitchen area for food and beverage preparation.
The boat will begin its two-month journey to Russia this week and Kyllo says Twin Anchors Marine is optimistic there will be more to follow.
“There are talks about 20 boats in the future,” says Kyllo, noting Trade Marine reps are excited about the boat which is expected to be used for corporate meetings and tour entertaining.
This prototype is a day boat that will sail the river system between Moscow and St. Petersburg, but Kyllo says the design is such that including a bedroom in future boats would easy to do.
“It’s beautiful, it’s really unique with flush windows and moulded walls – totally different from what we normally build,” she says, noting the company hopes the new vessel will provide a segue into the European markets and be welcome in America as well.
“It’s been a fun boat to build,” she says, pointing out prototypes always take longer, in this case primarily because of the new wall design. “The staff here has been amazing because prototypes are stressful and frustrating because of all the changes.”