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Boats from the New Zealand-made Stabi-Craft range are proving popular with United Nations' humanitarian organisations.
The latest addition to the UN fleet is a new Stabi-Craft Marine 509WFR, which is now on its way to troubled Myanmar, where it will be used "on the front line", helping UN staff relocate refugees.
The 509WFR will join a fleet of 14 other Stabi-Craft boats that have been commissioned for the UN flotilla during the past 10 years.
Stabi-Craft sales manager Sean McColl believes the versatility of the boats has made them popular with the UN.
"The Stabi-craft's inherent versatility fits perfectly with the diverse work the United Nations undertakes around the globe," he says.
"United Nations staff use our boats for an incredibly wide range of tasks, including transporting refugees and delivering life-saving supplies to remote areas."
The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Myanmar bought its first Stabi-Craft on the recommendation of Bo Colomby, a marine transport consultant, who felt the stability and forgiving nature of the aluminium Stabi-Craft designs were ideal for tasks where rivers, more than roads, are the arterial routes.
McColl says the fleet of Stabi-Craft boats have been crucial in resettling hundreds of thousands of refugees, as well as being used extensively in various humanitarian aid efforts.
"It's exciting and humbling to have such a strong presence in humanitarian work and to know our boats are helping to make a difference," he says.
