The key role that speedboats played in evacuating people to safety during the recent spate of floods that lashed Kerala has given rise to the demand to simplify their registration procedure with the Department of Ports.
Their speed, manoeuvrability and light weight enabled the vessels to literally vroom to the doorstep of those stranded for days in remote places, where big fishing boats could not call at. “Speedboats with seating capacity for eight or ten people that were deployed in places like North Paravur could access places which were located even 15 km from main roads, becoming feeder vessels for bigger fishing boats that waited at a distance,” said Paulson Joseph, Kochi-based naval architect and an approved consultant for Kerala Inland Vessel (KIV) Act. He along with his team evacuated dozens of people from the city suburbs.
This has resulted in speedboat manufacturers being flooded with enquiries from individuals, clubs and societies. The Ports Department must simplify its registration procedure so that even common people who reside near waterbodies can purchase boats. The boats can be used for leisure, transporting cargo and for speedy rescue operations. Till a couple of decades ago, most coastal homes in Kerala had country boats, he said.
Numerous boat yards in Kerala build speedboats that conform to the KIV Act. They can operate in shallow waters, while most fishing boats need three-foot deep water, making them apt for inland use. These fibre vessels have a life cycle of around 20 years and can be incinerated or recycled for alternative use.
A six horse-power speedboat with eight seats would cost approximately ₹3.50 lakh and weigh around 300 kg. They play a key role in ensuring faster relief and rescue operations. But there are curbs on registering them in Alappuzha and Kottayam. Even bigger boats are allowed to register only as four-seater boats for private purpose. “This limits their passenger capacity to 50%, severely impacting rescue in emergency situations,” said Mr. Joseph.
The Registering Authority of Ports Department K.R. Vinod said speedboats had definitive advantages over conventional boats and motorised fishing vessels. “Their engine is at the rear and can be raised, while the propeller of fishing vessels is located beneath the hull. This enables speedboats to operate in shallow waters.”
He said speedboats could be registered in any of the six ports of the registry, except in Alappuzha where over-proliferation of house boats was polluting Vembanad backwaters.