Safety at Boston Duck Tours

At Boston Duck Tours, the safety of our Guests, Employees and the greater community is our number one priority and we will continue to work closely with our partners at the US Coast Guard, Department of Public Utilities, Boston Hackney Division and Department of Transportation to ensure the highest level of safety on land and in the water.

Almost all amphibious vehicle companies, including Boston Duck Tours, are independently owned and operated. We employ over 200 people including Mechanics, Drivers, Narrators, Guest Service Representatives, Sales Representatives and Managers. We have carried 12 million guests since inception in 1994 and average about 600,000 each season.

Vehicle Design – Truck Ducks

Our Ducks are not WWII DUKWs. They are newly built vehicles for the sole purpose of sightseeing tours. Our fleet is comprised of what are known as “Truck Ducks”, which are based off a much larger and stronger chassis. They are purpose-built for tourism and are not a converted surplus vehicle. The hulls are all brand-new construction and were designed for much greater stability, much greater capacity and much greater safety. The hulls themselves are heavier gage than a WWII Duck and all the old corrosion and stress points have been eliminated. Our oldest Truck Duck was built in 2006 and the newest was built in 2014. They share no parts with a WWII DUKW, and are a “Duck” in name only.

We are inspected by the US Coast Guard every spring before our season begins and we meet or exceed their regulations. We are also inspected by the Department of Public Utilities (they are the bus inspectors in our state) every spring. In addition, all of our 28 Ducks are inspected twice daily by our Mechanics and once prior to departure by our licensed Class B Commercial Drivers who complete a Department of Transportation required inspection check list.

Canopy Roofs

All of our Ducks have retractable canopies which act as a means of egress. In addition, we have Velcro windows that can be unzipped or pushed out easily. Finally, we have a windshield that can be lowered for egress. These features have all been approved for use by the US Coast Guard.

Operating Environment

At Boston Duck Tours, we operate on the Charles River, a protected waterway with depths averaging about 16 feet. Since the River is narrow, if there was ever a water emergency, the Duck could easily ground itself on the river bank within minutes.

We continuously monitor the weather conditions from our three locations. We do not allow our DUCKs to go into the Charles River if there is lightning in the area or if conditions are forecasted to exceed our operating parameters set by the US Coast Guard. Our Certificates of Inspection (COI) states we may not operate if winds are over 25 knots or waves are over one foot. With respect to life jackets, just like any other licensed passenger vessel, we follow the regulations of the US Coast Guard which requires that we have a life jacket on board for each passenger. They are readily available above each seat in the event of a water emergency.