Ceynor house boats for leisure industry

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE

For the first time in Sri Lanka, a house boat to be used for the local and international leisure industry is being constructed by the Ceynor Foundation.

The boat would be completely designed and engineered by Sri Lankans and 85 percent of the raw material too would be from Sri Lanka. The house boat which costs over Rs. 4.5 million would be equipped with two rooms, toilets, kitchen and a verandah.

The model of the house boat was on display at the recently concluded Boat Show, said Chairman Ceynor Foundation, Rohan Jayasinghe.

He said that they have received a very positive response from both local and foreign investors.

"With peace, tourism is booming and investors are looking at innovation. The house boat would be designed in response to this new emerging market segment," he said.

In Maldives one could find water bungalows, but in Sri Lanka this concept is yet to get off the ground. "One of the biggest advantages of the boat is that it can be used even in shallow water, making it possible for the boat to be used in rivers as well.

"This would open a new chapter in local tourism similar to that seen in Kerala", Jayasinghe said.

He said that they could also design this boat as a floating restaurant where entrepreneurs would be able to host events on board.

Incorporated as a public limited liability company in 1990, Ceynor has two boatyards and two fishnet factories.

The house boat would be built at its factory in Mattakuliya.

Jayasinghe said that they hope to manufacture around 20 boats this year. The model would also be given to Bangladesh where the company has a partnership with a private company.

Ceynor also designed and launched a dual power 'sashimi' boat which is powered by both the sail and the engine, enabling fishermen a 30 percent saving on fuel. The boat also has a novel storage system for the fish catch which reduces post-harvest losses by over 40 percent.

Another innovation of Ceynor was the medical ambulance boat which is now used in North and East areas.

"This is used to carry patients from the islets to the mainland," he said.

He said long liner fishing vessels too were introduced last year, making multi-day fishing more economical.

With fishing restrictions in the North and the East lifted, Sri Lanka can look at self-sufficiency in fish in two years and very soon would be able to stop the import of canned fish to the country.

A Russian investor is already setting up one of the biggest canned fish factories in South Asia in Galle and similar Board of Investment projects are expected in the North and the East as well.