The Hindu Business Line : KSINC launches luxury boat services

Given the encouraging response from water-related tourism activities, the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) has introduced two luxury boats - Lake Princess and Lake Queen - in the Kochi backwaters.

The launch will coincide with the Onam tourist season as the corporation is expecting a good number of tourists in the current season, said Mr K.N. Satheesh, Managing Director.

KSINC's venture into water-related tourism activities has been receiving good response in recent times, which is evident from cruise boat Sagara Rani logging around Rs 40 lakh collections during the last tourist season, he added.

Purchased by the Tourism Department in 1991, Lake Princess (formerly known as Patiramanal) had been leased out to the Taj Group of Hotels.

The KSINC took over it a year ago and renovated it at a cost of Rs 22 lakh. The boat will now be deployed for sightseeing in the Kochi-Alappuzha backwaters.

It underwent a complete overhaul at the KSINC's Slipway Complex at Thoppumpady, besides repairs in the hull and redesigning of front and rear portion.Being a double-hull vessel, its safety and stability are better than other boats.

The crew room has been constructed in the front and common utility area in the rear of the vessel.

In between are two four-bed bedrooms (double-deck) and four two-bed bedrooms, all of which are air-conditioned. A total of 16 tourists can stay onboard the vessel at any given time. It has been fitted with chemical toilets, which are eco-friendly.

However, Lake Queen is a double-deck vessel that can carry 100 people. It has a 50-seater air-conditioned conference hall. The boat was launched following the success of Sagara Rani.

On the company's operations, Mr Satheesh said that KSINC has emerged as the lowest bidder in the tender floated by the Tuticorin Port Trust for the construction of mooring launches.

It is expecting work order of eight mooring launches; the cost of each launch would be around Rs 54 lakh. The construction work will be carried out at its Thevara yard, he added.

Likewise, KSINC is also participating in the tender floated by the Tamil Nadu Government's Poompuhar Shipping Corporation for boat building for Kanyakumari.

KSINC has also qualified in the tender for constructing workboats for the West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation, he added.

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