From Warehouse to Water in Just 52 Hours

For 25 years, Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours has been thrilling visitors to Niagara Falls with wet and wild trips through the Niagara River’s Class 5 whitewater rapids. For tourists, crashing through 12- to 14-foot waves while taking in spectacular views of the gorge is an exhilarating experience. But for the boats—and the diesel engines that power them—it can be a punishing one.

That’s why John Kinney, president of the Ontario, Canada-based company, counts on quality equipment and fast service to keep his fleet of vessels running safely and reliably during the short May-to-October tourist season. In August 2016, he needed both more than ever.

“An oil dipstick came loose as our newest boat went through the rapids, pumping oil into the engine and causing internal damage,” Kinney says. “Of course, it happened on the eve of a long holiday weekend here in Canada, one of the busiest of the summer.”

Kinney immediately reached out to his local dealer, Toromont Cat, to inquire about a repair solution for the damaged Cat® C9 propulsion engine—one of three powering the 54-passenger jet boat.

“Unfortunately, there were no short blocks or repair kits for this configuration of engine, and there wasn’t time for a rebuild,” says Joe van Schaick, marine account manager at Toromont Cat. “So we shifted our focus toward new engine replacement and sent an email blast to all the Cat marine dealers in the Americas.”

The search turned up just one engine matching the exact horsepower and RPM requirements, located in dealer Ring Power’s Orlando, Florida, warehouse—more than 1,200 miles and an international border crossing away.