I took one of the Ducks tours in Wisconsin Dells when I was a kid (c. 1975), and did so again maybe 20 years ago. I have no strong desire to do so again, though that was the case even before the incident in Branson.
Dunno if it’s a franchise or a copycat in Singapore. But it was a Duck boat.
This Wikipedia article says that it did operate duck boat tours in several locations (though it doesn’t sound like it was a franchise operation), but it also suggests that it closed after the 2018 incident in Branson.
Edit: Reading more closely, it looks like Ripley Entertainment (known for Ripley’s Believe it or Not) bought Ride the Ducks in 2017; in looking at their web site, there’s no mention of that brand among their list of attraction brands. It suggests to me that they may have decided to just get out of that business entirely.
I took a duck boat tour in Hot Springs AR about 35 years ago.
I’d do it again in good weather. The risk is very low. Wear the life jacket.
There are also still two independent Duck tours running in the Wisconsin Dells (which is where duck boat tours appear to have originated), but they were never specifically a part of Ride the Ducks.
And now that I think of it, I used to see Duck Boats on the streets here in Waikiki when we moved back in 2016, so I know they were here. But I’ve not seen them at all since the pandemic started.
I’ve done it once in D.C. I wouldn’t be against doing it again.
Road/Sailed in one once in Pittsburgh. Seemed rather pointless.
Interesting…what in Pittsburgh looks better from the water, presumably river(s)? Is that why it seemed pointless?
(I initially thought you meant Philadelphia, which might have a lot more interesting things to see from the water…)
Given that article, I don’t think you need to speculate. It specifically says that they closed the Branson version permanently after the incident, and list the other locations as former locations. Branson seems to have been the last one. `
We rode them in Branson back in the mid 70’s. At that time they were not covered and it was a bright sunny day.
I’d ride them again given the same conditions.
Duck boats are not the safest craft on the water ways, for sure.
They have been known to catch fire on the Thames in London. Or sink in a dock in Liverpool.
Apparently the cause was poor maintenance. They need extra foam to give them enough bouyancy. But not so close to the hot engine that it catches fire.
Accidents waiting to happen?
Yep both the were fun. I went on one in Wisconsin Dells and Seattle.
A loose rubber seal near the drive shaft caused it to take on water. Every time I see one of those duck boats in Hot Springs I think of those 13 people who lost their life on Lake Hamilton. I’ve never had a strong desire to go on a duck tour. I’ve got a car and I’ve been in a boat. It just doesn’t seem necessary to combine the two.