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A Singapore "tour-duck" in water

Montreal Amphi-bus

Duck tours, or DUKW tours, are tours that take place on purpose-built amphibious tour buses or military surplus DUKWs and LARC-Vs. Primarily offered as tourist attractions in harbor, river and lake cities, such as Albany, Chattanooga, Pittsburgh, Belfast, Washington, DC, Boston, Miami, Seattle, Wisconsin Dells, Liverpool, London, Dublin, Singapore, Osaka, Toronto and the latest in Malacca, Malaysia. Duck tours, whether using actual DUKWs or modern amphibious tour buses, are generally light-hearted, with drivers frequently wearing outlandish hats or costumes, and onboard PA systems frequently outfitted with humorous sound effects.

The first "duck tour" company was started in 1946 by Mel Flath in Milwaukee, WI. He moved his tour to Wisconsin Dells shortly thereafter. His family continues to operate a duck company called the Dells Army Ducks in the Wisconsin Dells Area.

The Boston Celtics celebrated their 2008 championship, the New England Patriots celebrated their championships and the Boston Red Sox celebrated their 2004 and 2007 World Series victories with a parade of 17 DUKWs carrying members of the team over land and across the Charles River.

The Seafair Pirates in Seattle use a DUKW "Moby Duck" modified to look like a Spanish Galleon as their primary means of amphibious transport.

Liverpool's DUKW rides company[1] (as at June 2009) has 4 DUKWs, of which one saw service in the D-day landings.

Almost all have been repainted, and given modern diesel engines and enclosed tops, making them more resemble conventional buses. Most require a bus-type Public Service Vehicle license and a passenger-use boat license.

Fatal incidents

In 1999 an unregulated DUKW sank in Hot Springs, Arkansas, killing 13 of the 20 people onboard. The U.S. Coast Guard has since followed the lead of Boston Duck Tours to improve overall safety regulations. In 2002, a cruise on the Ottawa River, Ontario, on 23 June 2002, ended with the sinking of amphibious vehicle Lady Duck, converted from a Ford F-350 truck. 6 passengers, the driver, and the tour guide escaped, but four passengers, trapped within the sunken vehicle under the canopy, drowned. A gasoline-powered Mercruiser inboard/outboard (I/O) at the rear was used for water-borne propulsion.^[1] A review found problems with regulating such vehicles, defects in the makeshift design and emergency procedures.

References