Ride the Ducks
Ride the Ducks is a national duck tour operator, and an eponymous tourist attraction in U.S. cities such as Branson, Missouri, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, Newport, Kentucky, San Francisco, CA, Philadelphia, PA, and Stone Mountain Park, Georgia.[1] It makes use of over 90 amphibious vehicles (nicknamed "ducks") to provide tours of cities by boat and by land. Ride the Ducks is owned by Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation, which is involved in various family entertainment ventures.
Ride the Ducks of San Francisco also operates Classic Cable Car Sightseeing in which customers can take a city tour on a San Francisco Classic Cable Car. Some are original cable cars from the California Street Cable Car Line dating back to the late 19th century/early 20th century. All others were built from the ground up using the original cable car blueprints and constructed of solid oak and brass.[2]
Similar duck-boat based tours operate in other cities (such as Cincinnati, Boston, Portland, Seattle,[3] and Toronto), but are not operated by Ride The Ducks. Ride The Ducks has provided vehicles to some of these other companies, such as their relationship with Boston's Duck Tours.[4]
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[edit] The Ducks
The actual vehicle is based on the famous World War II DUKW amphibious design (see post-war use). Today, the company builds its vehicles from the ground up to incorporate advances in marine design and safety. Ride the Ducks now owns the rights to, and manufacturers its own amphibious vehicles.[5] In addition to equipping their vehicles with a number of safety features, including an abundance of adult- and child-sized lifejackets, duck captains are Coast Guard certified and hold commercial drivers' licenses. The captains are also fully trained in first aid and CPR. "We really put our captains through the wringer," says Claire Sewell, general manager for Memphis' Ride the Ducks. "But we think they would agree that it's worth it.[6]
[edit] Hurricane Katrina support
Ride The Ducks was the only amphibious tour operator/manufacturer to support the rescue and evacuation efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.[7] Ride the Ducks supported rescue and evacuation efforts in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. They volunteered equipment, crew, and other resources in order to help evacuate residents of the hardest-hit areas. The volunteering team was deemed "invaluable" by those involved in the rescue effort, as the DUKWs were able to safely access areas inaccessible by other means.[5]
[edit] Incidents
The duck boats operated by Ride the Ducks have been involved in a number of incidents, most recently in July 2010, when an amphibious vehicle operating on the Delaware River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania sank after being struck by a barge, killing two passengers.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.ridetheducks.com/about/
- ^ http://www.classiccablecar.com/
- ^ http://www.ridetheducksofseattle.com/
- ^ "About Ride The Ducks". http://www.ridetheducks.com/about-us.aspx.
- ^ a b http://www.ridetheducks.com/about/equipment.asp
- ^ http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/splashdown/Content?oid=1116355
- ^ http://philadelphia.ridetheducks.com/experience/ducks-or-dukws.aspx
- ^ "2 Bodies Found Near Duck Boat Crash". MyFoxPhilly.com. http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/Delaware_River_Female_Body_Found_070910. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
[edit] External links
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