Amazon Adventures

Brazil

Heart of Amazonia

More About the Boat

The Motor Yacht Tucano was built entirely new and and went into service in 1997. We could have built a futuristic looking vessel, but the M/Y Tucano was built in the tradition of the steamboats that navigated the Amazon in the late 19th century. Why didn't we build a boat that more resembled a contemporary yacht with "swept back" decks and the "deep V" hull? Because over the many years that we have operated nature cruises in the Amazon we learned that the traditional design has several crucial advantages for Amazon river travel. The two most important of these are shallow draft and large volume of the interior space.

The M/Y Tucano is very wide at its base and has a flat bottom so at its deepest point the vessel draws only five feet. This enables the vessel to explore remote Amazon rivers where "V" hulls cannot navigate. The Tucano routinely crosses the sand bars that cover the entrances of many rivers in Amazonia, and continues on for tens or hundreds of miles farther into the wilderness. We are able to explore the small meandering rivers where wildlife is abundant but which are closed to almost all other passenger vessels. The traditional design is by far the most practical for nature exploration.

Given the typical calmness of the Amazon's rivers, Tucano is able to have three decks resulting in a quite large interior space. The M/Y Tucano has almost twice the interior volume as a comparable "swept back" vessel. This extra space goes into ample overhead ceilings, large cabins, full size bathrooms, and many comforts which would simply not be possible in a contemporary design. Especially important is that the riverboat style allows the M/Y Tucano to have many large windows. Tucano has over seventy windows all of which are three feet high and can be opened for passengers to enjoy the scent of Amazon blossoms. Every cabin has at least four of these windows which makes the vessel bright and airy, which is a very different experience than that of most contemporary yachts with their port holes and sealed skylights. Tucano's large interior space enables the guest to relax in comfort on our exploration cruises.

But just because the M/Y Tucano has the appearance of a traditional riverboat does not mean that it is not a thoroughly up to date and modern yacht. The vessel was built using sophisticated equipment, materials, and advanced construction techniques. From the electrical and water systems to the advanced propulsion and navigation systems, Tucano offers all of the convenience, security, and comfort of a modern yacht. There are individual air-conditioning thermostats in every cabin as well as volume controls for the boat-wide sound system. The vessel has state of the art communications and navigation equipment so that no matter how far into the world's greatest wilderness the vessel may explore, there is still contact with the outside world.

The traditional design of the M/Y Tucano has had another wonderful advantage, the beautiful finish details of the 19th Century. The cabins, Salon, and main corridors are crafted of exquisite solid wood raised paneling. The deep amber color of the varnished wood is accented by polished brass hardware found throughout the vessel. The walls are decorated with framed botanical prints as well as antique maps from the great era of exploration. The Tucano experience offers the classical elegance of a bygone era but combined with the capability and the spirit of modern exploration.

All of the cabins on the M/Y Tucano are comfortable and all have private baths with hot water showers. The Tucano has 9 passenger cabins. Four of these cabins have side by side single beds, one cabin has a queen size bed beside a single bed, and the remaining four cabins have single size mattresses one above the other.

All of the cabins have large windows all of which open.You can lie on your bed and watch the rainforest from your window while reading a novel of exploration, one of the great and unexpected pleasures of the Tucano experience. The cabins are scrubbed daily.

Each of the cabins has its own air-conditioning controls so f you would like it cool as New England, turn down the thermostat as cool as you wish. All of the cabins have large windows and you can open them if you wish.

Trips on Tucano are not luxury cruises! But at the same time you can be comfortable and focus on the forest and its magnificent wildlife. Tucano allows us to do that, in style.

Observation Deck: This deck is open and an exceptional place to observe wildlife. The forward balcony allows views to the front and into the treetops. From beneath the sun canopy we see the world's greatest collection of birds and the occasional monkey cavorting in the branches.From the top deck there is wilderness as far as the eye can see.The top deck is a wonderful place to lounge around as we cruise along the wilderness river.

Middle Deck: The balcony around the front of the boat is a wonderful place to pull up a chair and observe the forest close up. The salon is airy and has windows all the way around. All of the walls are paneled in lovely hardwood.Two cabins on this deck have a single beds seperated by a night stand. Two other cabins have a bunk bed with a twin size mattress above and below. All of the cabins have private showers and sinks.

Main Deck: Two cabins on this deck have single beds seperated by a nightstand. By inserting a third narrow bed in the middle, these cabins can also accomodate three persons. Two other cabins number have a bunk bed with a twin size mattress above and below. All of the cabins have private showers and sinks. There is a full galley and a swim deck at the stern. We get in and out of our launches to the side of the boat through two entries designed for this purpose.