Excitor
The Excitor was a fast boat tourist experience in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, that operated until 2011. It was used on a high-speed trip through the scenic bay out to Cape Brett, where the boat travelled through the 'Hole in the Rock', a natural sea-tunnel. The boat was operated by Tourism Holdings Ltd, then by InterCity.
Passengers sitting in the open boat had to wear lifejackets, and waves swamping the boat had been reported, though it was designed to quickly drain the water through its stern.
Vessels
Three vessels were used over the years to operate the Excitor experience.Excitor I
Excitor I was in use by for six years on around 900 trips. It was involved in a serious incident in 1998, when a mechanical failure in the gearbox linkage caused the boat to become unsteerable while entering Cathedral Cave. With the starboard engine still running ahead, the bow of the vessel collided with the cave wall. Twenty-nine people aboard had to abandon the boat and were forced to "swim for their lives" to the mouth of the cave, while the boat was battered against the cave roof by 3 m high wave swells. After 20 minutes, the operator was able to reverse the boat out of the cave, radio for help, and pick up the passengers. One person sustained light injuries, and one young child suffered hypothermia.Passengers involved in the incident accused the operator of subsequently downplaying the duration and the risks during the incident, such as the danger of being dashed against rocks. They were also critical of the official incident report by the Maritime Safety Authority, which was said to have failed to address contributing factors such as the late arrival of the boat at the cave, the height of the swells outside the cave mouth, as well as alleged fatigue of the skipper.