Man with a craft for hovercrafts

Basel Shuhaiber, 24, was fascinated by boats ever since he could remember. So much so, he went right ahead and made it into a business – and a very successful one at that.

Shuhaiber who has built seven boats at his factory called Al Marakeb that custom-builds luxury boats in Sharjah, now plans to get into hovercrafts. “The advantages of hovercrafts are endless,'' he said, explaining the branch out. “No surface can be a deterrent for a hovercraft. You don't need a trailer or dock to park it and you can even drive this thing on the road if it were street legal.''

The architectural and mechanical engineering graduate said that his love for boats has been cultivated since childhood. “When I was younger I used to live near the beach in Al Khan so I developed a huge fascination for boats.''

When Shuhaiber was still at university, he started secretly building a 42-foot fishing boat in his backyard. “Halfway through the project, when my parents found out what I was doing, they flipped,'' he recounts. “After trying to convince them for days, I got two helpers and all the right materials to complete the boat. The entire project took me one year and seven months to complete,'' he said. “I think that was the worst boat I will ever build.''

The hovercrafts that Shuhaiber is building, were originally designed by Aircommander Hovercrafts, USA. Aircommander, incidentally, also designs for the US military.

The hovercrafts will be featured for the first time in the UAE and will vary in size from three-seater to eight-seater luxury crafts costing between Dh57,000 to Dh200,000.

“We have already sold one… when the orders grow, we will be designing and building the crafts locally under the brand name Al Marakeb Hovercrafts,'' he said.

Shuhaiber feels that these machines will be ideal for the residents of The Palms and The World islands. “These machines do not need to be docked, and furthermore, they are low maintenance,'' he said. “To build a hovercraft is like piecing together a kit, it only takes a week-and-half and with in six weeks you will have on your doorstep,'' he added.

Shuhaiber said he has pitched the model to Dubai Civil Defence who can use it as rescue hovercrafts. In addition, he said, Bangladeshi authorities have also shown interest in the crafts.

The firm is also talking with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) for use of these crafts for public transportation. “This is the best way to use any kind of transportation, it's the safest and it can go anywhere,'' he said.

All-terrain vehicle

• Hovercrafts can go on land, water, sand, snow and rock.
• Skirting can last for ten years
• Takes few lessons to learn how to manoeuvre the vessel.
• Engine runs on fuel mixed with oil that can last for 4 to 6 hours and reaches speeds of 120 km/h
• Three-seater model costs Dh57,000, with the most expensive being the eight-seater one at Dh200,000
• Has window cabins for custom hovercrafts
• One hovercraft already sold; delivery by mid-April