Your ‘Big Red’ Jet Boat - It’s A Thrilling Ride And You’re In Experienced And Safe Hands

Your safety is paramount, and with a fleet of 7 identical twin engine Jet Boats and an unparalleled maintenance and risk management programme, Shotover Jet continues to raise industry safety standards. The following information outlines Shotover Jet’s safety practices and features.

Clark Scott - General Manager

Shotover Jet has been operating commercial Jet Boats in the Shotover River Canyons since 1970. In that time, and into the future, safety remains the paramount consideration for the company. Commercial jet boating is a highly safety conscious industry subject to rigorous regulatory control, and Shotover Jet’s aim is to ensure that its customers enjoy an experience that meets the very highest safety standards. Shotover Jet prides itself on having internal systems and procedures in place that meet, and in most cases exceed, the exacting industry and official requirements. In order to ensure that it is operating at peak safety and efficiency, Shotover Jet is always willing to examine aspects of its operations with customers and suppliers. Please feel free to contact us if there is any aspect of this document you would like to clarify or discuss.

Driver Safety

Our drivers are highly trained professionals and know their ‘Big Red’ Jet Boats and the fast flowing waters of the Shotover River like the back of their hands. Each driver undergoes a minimum of 120 hours rigourous training (over double the industry requirements) before carrying their first passenger.

Purpose Built Jet Boats

• A fleet of seven interchangeable highy specialised Jet Boats, designed specifically for the Shotover River Canyons
• Carry a maximum of 14 passengers plus the driver
• Constructed of heavy gauge marine aluminium
• Hulls designed for maximum strength, speed and manoeuvrability
• Powered by two Buick 3.8 litre V6 supercharged engines producing 520 horsepower
• Propulsion, steering and control is through two Hamilton 212 Jet Units thrusting 760 litres of water per second

Daily Jet Boat Checks

Shotover Jet mechanical staff carry out checks daily. The mechanics themselves get assessed throughout the year by either our Maintenance Manager or Workshop Supervisor who audit their checks to ensure compliance.

Jet Boat Audits

Our Jet Boats are audited annually by two independant parties - an internal expert whom has over ten years expereince and an external Maritime New Zealand authorised specialist.

Refit Plan

Every year we put together a comprehensive Jet Boat refit programme which predetermines when Jet Boat engines and Jet Units will be rebuilt. At regular intervals, we strip, fully check and refit all of our Jet Boats.

Critical Parts Tracking

We have introduced a computerised critical parts tracking system which ensures the integrity and safety of critical componentry in our Jet Boats. Every critical part of the Jet Boat that could cause failure of a vital function is tracked so we know how and when it is serviced and /or replaced. For example, in addition to daily visual inspections, the tracking system requires crack testing on steering nozzles every 500 hours and that, irrespective of whether there is any damage, the steering nozzle is replaced every 2,000 hours. The system is computerised, and ensures that no critical component is overlooked during the maintenance programme.

Reliability Centred Maintenance

In October 2001 we introduced Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM). This is a maintenance methodology introduced into the airline industry approximately 20 years ago, and it has had remarkable success in improving engine efficiency and reliability in that industry. Whilst we consider our current maintenance processes to be sound, we are always striving to improve the quality of our work in this area. RCM allows Shotover Jet to raise the standard again for the jet boating industry and assist in the maturing and development of our maintenance processes. The initial training of our mechanical staff started in October 2001 and was carried out by Price Waterhouse, the official licensees for RCM.

Root Cause Analysis

Prior to Christmas 2002, management and senior mechanical staff received comprehensive training in Root Cause Analysis (RCA). RCA is a process of identifying the root cause of failures and allows systems to be put in place to mitigate the same failure occurring again.