The latest vessel from Steber International entered the Manning River for the first time on Wednesday, January 17.
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The Steber 5200 (52 feet) has been purchased by the Fregate Island Resort in the Seychelles archipelago and features two sleeping cabins, two lounge areas, galley (kitchen), two bathrooms, an inflatable dinghy and crane.
Managing director of Steber International Alan Steber said it took about one year for the vessel to be built and will be an asset to the resort.
“There’s plenty of deck area for fishing, diving, charter works, transfer for passengers to and from the main land and it’s powered by twin 700 horse power engines,” Mr Steber said.
“This is the pride of their fleet,” Mr Steber said.
The launch attracted about 70 onlookers who were eager to watch the vessel lifted into the Manning River.
Steber International will now conduct three weeks of seas trials in the Manning River before beginning the delivery process.
“Once that’s finished, we’ll go across to the Harrington bar,” Mr Steber said.
This is the pride of their fleet
- Alan Steber. Steber International managing director
“We will work with Marine Rescue Harrington to do the depth soundings to find the best passage out of the bar.”
He said this process will be challenging.
“It is extremely shallow as we haven’t had a flood for a long time so it’s just silting up more and more so we’ll take caution and a bit of assistance from Marine Rescue to try and get across the bar safely and then the delivery run,” Mr Steber said.
The vessel will become the fourth of the resort’s fleet, with the first delivered in 1999.
The last vessel to be transported was a Steber 3800 in 2016, which is used by the resort to transfer people between the island and mainland and will now be used in other activities.
Unlike most fibreglass manufactured vessels, the hulls of the Fregate Island vessels are finished in a unique jade mist green colour.
The Seychelles archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean, north east of Madagascar and consists of 115 islands.