Month: March 2018

Consistent growth since the launch of the first boat in 2011 and double-digit progression in the last 5 years means there are now 30 vessels sailing across the globe from Australia to the UK.

The company recently raised a substantial capital investment of more than 2 M€. Led by Normandie Participations, this investment coordinates the founder, longstanding investors and a pool of new investors. Among the latter: Pierre-Noël Luiggi (president of Oscaro) Indenoi, Pierre Kosciusko-Morizet via his fund Kernel Investissements and Dan Vogel, founder of Enablon and Business Angel. All have a passion for French manufacturing and a desire to ensure the brand is a success.

The capital boost will be used to accelerate the development of the range and launch two new models in 2018. A stylish Commuter the perfect vessel to support superyachts and luxury resorts alike and a more rugged simple boat with a reduced price point of only €280,000 aimed at waterfront property owners where access is limited but essential.

An iguana is an innovative product that undeniably makes boating easier but I am constantly asked “Why would I need it”, “what’s the purpose of it” or even told “isn’t it just a gimmick?”

I’m sure there are plenty of products now in everyday use that faced the same questions, why did we need banking card chips? What was the purpose of online shopping? Why would anyone need an electric car?

For the avoidance of doubt, I am not saying the Iguana will be as revolutionary as any of these, but like the products above the Iguana is safer than the alternative, its easier to use than the alternative and it’s more convenient than the alternative.

Let me tell you my story…

Like many I live by the ocean because I love the water. When I moved here I dreamed of days on the ocean with my children, discovering hidden beaches for family picnics, jumping on the boat whenever blue sky appeared to seize the day.

However the reality is, I needed to build a pontoon (after receiving planning permission) or spend 30 minutes driving to the nearest marina, load my boat on to the trailer and wait my turn on the slip to launch the boat. Neither my wife or I liked getting the children on board if the waves were even a little choppy, the children don’t particular like a stressed parent telling them to get on board and I dislike the pressure of everyone watching me operate the boat at the jetty. I have to jump off the boat to drag it onto the beach while my wife manages the children and unloads the kit. The picnic gear takes up most of the boat so no one is comfortable, everyone holding onto something. By the time the picnic was over the tide would have gone out so we’d have to drag the boat half a mile back to the water. And my dream of launching in minutes was impossible.

These are the reasons I created Iguana Yachts. Because the scenarios we dream of and the marketing images we believe miss out the hard bits. Surely it doesn’t have to be this way I thought. I wanted something that was easy to use, that took all the stress out of boating, that the whole family could enjoy.

The Iguana allows owners to keep their boat at their home ready for launch whenever the mood takes them.

There is no need for infrastructure like pontoons or docks, eradicating the stress, time and money associated with them. (It also drastically reduces maintenance costs but that’s for another time.)

Because accessing the boat is so easy some of our owners use the Iguana as they would a car to commute to neighbouring islands regardless of tide times or even along the coast to work where road traffic would double their journey time.

The Iguana embarks on land above the waves passengers can board on a stable platform using the wide ladder and handrail. They can also park at the edge of the shore and simply unload kit as you would a car leaving no signs you were there at all.

The multiple storage options include a fridge and cup holders so guests have more space to enjoy the deck. The cabin of the Commuter provides space for changing, children to nap and the integrated head instantly extend owners time on the boat. Because everything on the boat is secure kit can be left on board meaning it’s instantly ready for your next trip.

With an Iguana boating doesn’t have to be a day trip, you can use it whenever you like, without the need to plan ahead. Owners can enjoy the freedom of the water that drew us to it in the first place. I created Iguana because I want to enjoy boating without the hassle.

I invite you to experience it for yourselves then perhaps you can tell me if it’s just a gimmick… I think you’ll agree with me.

I often remind our clients, once you get to where you’re going, you’ll spend all your time on your tender.

Expected to perform at a minute’s notice to do just about anything from carrying gear and supplies to ferrying passengers and towing children it’s surprising how little thought the tender purchase is sometimes given.

Here’s my simple tips to keeping you on the right track:

Power : The recent trend of more means more doesn’t work for all. A jet engine will undoubtedly get you there faster but can be difficult to control at low speeds and there is no neutral which means the captain has to oversteer to compensate. An outboard is arguably more efficient and can be increased if needed with twins or more but remains an easier beast to tame – Additionally, most service technicians believe an outboard is simpler to maintain than jet engines.

Crew Efficiency: If your tender will be used to set up the beach for picnics etc this can take upto 4 crew – 2 to hold the boat steady while the others unload this can be a time consuming and sometimes dangerous task. An Iguana can be used to effortlessly land on the beach for both crew and passengers to disembark. Drastically reducing the time and team needed for set up while integrated storage and fridge also allow more kit to be transported securely and neatly.

Garage placement or towing: If your tender will be stored in a garage you need to consider size, lifting points and weight. Remember a 9 meter tender can be closer to 9.5m with an outboard. We work with our clients and their mothership builders to create a solution that works for them adjusting lifting points to creating one off features to reduce the height. If your towing be sure to invest in a boat that has been tested in all conditions and has reinforced towing points. It’s good to speak to your tender builder’s existing clients too. That way you can learn from their experience and make an informed judgement call.

Service and Aftersales: As the tender will play such a vital role in your daily life at your destination be sure your builder has a team that operates across the globe. Knowing someone can respond to your needs quickly is a huge reassurance for both you and the crew. Iguana’s software allows us to remotely access the boat via so we can troubleshoot 99% of problems over the phone instantly.

Get value for you: Only you know what’s value for you. For most of our clients, it’s a boat that can do everything be it exploring off the beaten track, arriving at the hottest beach club in style, speeding up crew set up times, picking up grand parents safely, embarking anywhere. Most boats can do one, perhaps two of these. The Iguana can genuinely do it all, making it the perfect yacht tender, giving you more room in your garage and more time on the water. 

If you ask anyone why use carbon fibre, you’ll typically get a three word answer, stronger, harder, lighter.

These are the reasons it is commonly used by some of the biggest brands on earth from Boeing to Lamborghini.

But do these benefits translate in the boating world?

Stronger: Carbon fibre is typically twice as strong as fibre glass allowing boat builders to use less while achieving the same strength of a traditional boat.

Harder: At around six times harder than fibreglass it gives builders a hull that’s more sturdy and stiffer at high speeds on the water.

Lighter: Put simply a carbon fibre is about half as heavy but twice as strong at fiberglass giving a boat more speed and stronger fuel efficiency. 

However, there are no rainbows without rain. Carbon fibre boatbuilding has some hefty down sides, namely the cost. It can be 6 times more expensive than it’s counterpart fibreglass, so a builder needs to weigh up the benefits – Is a small speed improvement something an owner is willing to pay 6 times more for?

It also conducts electricity, something which can be rather problematic in an Iguana with an electric land drive! Every element needs to be insulated from a carbon fibre hull adding further time and cost to build.

At Iguana we’ve created a striking balance, using carbon fibre to create new elements such as a cabin and increased storage on the Commuter model. This allows us to keep the weight low but the strength and performance of the boat high.

Keen to stay are the forefront of innovation we have also adopted Kevlar in to our manufacturing process, using the composite to create our tracks resulting in a robust system that requires virtually no maintenance.

So regardless of what the material is, each builder needs to make the decision based on whats right for their clients.

Be it carbon fibre, Kevlar or back to traditional wood, at Iguana we are constantly evolving to ensure we remain true to our mantra of delivering an uncompromised boating experience. 

Historically amphibious crafts were heavily focused on being land vehicles first, water vehicles second. This often created crafts that perform poorly on both land and water. They were slower and less reliable than their traditional counterparts.

The Iguana Yacht is unlike anything that came before it.

It is a high-performance boat first with an ergonomically integrated Mobility System that seamlessly folds into the hull. The result is a boat that performs as well or better than traditional boats, comfortably achieving 40 knots, with the added ability to climb virtually any shore.

When the IMS track system is raised the leading and trailing edges are engineered to enhance on-water performance providing aeration and reducing drag similar to a hydro-step hull delivering 2-3 knots of increased speed when compared to a traditional hull.

It takes only 8 seconds to deploy the IMS landing gear.

Once down 2 powerful hydraulic pumps and electric engines provide more than 10 times the torque of a 4×4 car but carefully manage the pressure to deliver the same impact as a human being.

Capable of climbing 40%+ grade inclines of virtually any landscape, soft sand, pavements and rocks are scaled with ease.

So, can an amphibious boat be truly effective on both land and water? I say yes.

In fact the Iguana is more effective than most boats and yacht tenders, the perfect vessel for commuting or cruising with no need for a marina, dock or ramp the IMS has enough torque to climb and exit the water with ease, even in waves up to 4ft.

The Iguana is a superb boat and an impressive land vehicle. It will save any owner time and money. What can be more effective than that?

Don’t just take my word for it. Contact us to experience the boat first hand.