A Fusion of sound and light
One of the stars at the recent CRC Speedweek show, this Sealegs 7.1 RS demonstrates the latest in Fusion’s marine entertainment systems. IT FEATURES: • AM/FM radio. • MS-UD750 280W head unit with internal Uni-dock. • Bluetooth. • Playback for Apple, Android, Windows and USB media devices. • Support for Pandora radio. • FUSION-LINK wired and wireless control. • Dual USB outlets. • MS-NRX200I remote control system. • Two MS-DA51600 1600-watt Class D 5-channel amplifiers. • One SG-SL10SPW 10-inch 450W marine sub-woofer with LED lights. • Eight SG-FL65SPC 6.5-inch 230W Signature Series marine speakers
with LED lights. • Floor-level blue LED lighting.
Sealegs uses a preparation it calls Greycoat on the wheel motors, brackets and legs, ski-arch, console surrounds, backrest and grab rails. Greycoat can be replaced with Sealeg’s Colourmatch option, allowing custom colours for any or all of these parts.
All RS models are equipped with all-wheel-drive (AWD) as standard for superior performance on land in soft sand and off-road conditions. Extended run time (XRT) and power steering are standard features.
“We used to offer two-wheel drive and all-wheel-drive versions, but all-wheel-drive was far more popular with customers, so it’s standard with this new model,” says Jolliffe.
We saw the benefits of all-wheel-drive when negotiating a section of beach riddled with holes. As we turned the boat, the front wheel dropped into a hole with a lurch, but quickly climbed out again, just a slight change in pitch from the hydraulic pumps indicating the work going on at ground level. With a two-wheel drive system, we may not have exited the hole so easily.
Sealegs AWD amphibious craft are capable off-road and can tackle soft sand, gravel beaches and even small boulders. They will also negotiate rough tracks, unsealed roads and steep driveways, although longer boats are less manoeuvrable than shorter ones. The leg assemblies of the Sealegs were recently redesigned for greater strength and fitted with specifically designed hubs and bearings to give trouble-free service for longer.
BRAKE DANCING
Also standard across the Sealegs range is ABS braking. With Sealegs, ABS stands for Automatic Braking System, not Anti-lock Braking System as is probably fitted to your car. Sealegs’ braking system reflects considerable research and development. It is designed to apply a mechanical brake to the wheels whenever the
boat is parked and the inboard motor is turned off, in the unlikely event of inboard engine or hydraulic transmission failure, or when the emergency stop button on the dashboard is depressed.
The emergency stop button is a failsafe and should be used only if the operator has lost control of the boat while on land.
This year the factory will celebrate its 1000th Sealegs. The company’s patented amphibious technology is being used under licence by selected boat builders in New Zealand and the Middle East. Sealegs is also in negotiation with boatbuilders in Europe and North America over further licensing deals – proving the Sealegs success story can even cross oceans. B