Ivan Reiff learned to love the marine
world with his commercial fisherman
father in Florida. Like many children of
fishermen he went off to school and even-
tually found himself working for an elec-
tronics firm out in southern California.
But the sea was, as they say, in his veins.
His marine memories led him to the
opposite corner of the country from Flori-
da. Up in Washington State's Puget Sound
he found little San Juan Island and around
the island he found the orcas and the
Western Prince II. The 46-ft. fiberglass
boat was a business that took people out
to see orcas (killer whales) in their natur-
al habitat. It was a better business than
fishing and a better life than San Diego.
This far northwest corner of the U.S.
remains pristine. Ivan and his wife
Jacquelyn bought the boat and the busi-
ness in 2003.
They have maintained it as an environ-
mentally respectful operation out of con-
cern for the future of the whales and for
their customers. They are members of the
Northwest Whale Watcher Operators
Association and adhere to that group's
guide lines for operating power boats in
the vicinity of whales. On their own ini-
tiative they began burning bio-diesel in
the boat's two-cycle main engines. Now
they have gone a step further and replaced
the Western Prince's aging engines with a
pair of Cummins' new Tier II compliant
QSL9 engines from Bellingham's Tri-
County Diesel Marine.
These 400 bhp, nine-liter, six-cylinder
engines have evolved from the 6CT8.3
engine to meet the stringent requirements
of the U.S. EPA for reduced emissions.
The electronically controlled engines are
also available at a heavy-duty rating of
326 bhp at 1,800 rpm, or continuous duty
rating of 281 bhp at 1,800 rpm. With his
balance between running out to find the
whales and idling while watching them,
Ivan's run times are well within the medi-
um continuous definition of up to 6,000
hours per year usage with up to six out of
12 hours at the fully rated rpm.
While the Cummins QSL9 meets the
Tier II emission requirements it also has
other significant advantages for a boat
like the Western Prince II that routinely
takes 30 passengers on natural history
tours. By incorporating the latest engine
technology the new engines add to pas-
senger comfort while generating bottom
line savings. A high-pressure common rail
fuel system virtually eliminates start up
white smoke and black smoke, improves
fuel economy and significantly reduces
noise. On sea trials the 46 x 14.5-ft. West-
ern Prince II achieved a top speed of 24
knots at 2100 rpm, which is the maximum
on the tachometer for the medium contin-
uous duty rating on these engines at their
400 hp rating.
With the boat's old engines the top
speed was only about 17 knots. Ivan
expects to cruise at that speed using
only1700 to 1800 rpm with 30 passengers
and three crewmembers onboard.
Circle 25 on Reader Service Card
8• MarineNews • April, 2006
NEWS
Circle 205 on Reader Service Card
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Whale Watch: Improved Economy and Passenger Comfort
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