The Condor Express was launched on February 16, 2002 in Bellingham, WA. This unique boat is Fred Benko's first quad-jet-powered catamaran; it is Santa Barbara's first as well. The boat measures 72'x26.5', with a displacement of 118,200 pounds when full (77,000 pounds light), and carries 149 passengers and 3 crew members at a cruising speed of over 30 knots.

Use: The Condor Express is being used primarily for whale watching, accommodating both tourists and scientists interested in viewing blue whales and humpback whales in summer, and gray whales in winter. The boat is also used for dinner cruises (it features an interior galley, booth seating, and the ability to serve both hot and cold food), weddings and funerals, and marine education for children. It even offers an advanced audio/visual system capable of displaying footage being recorded by divers underwater.

Design: Because of its foil-assisted design, created by Teknicraft Design of New Zealand, the boat moves exceptionally well through the Santa Barbara Channel, which occasionally gets choppy. "This boat has cut our travel time to the islands from three hours to one," said Benko. This is also accomplished by its four 740-horsepower diesel engines, and quad Hamilton 362 waterjets. A Nor Pro 20 KW Isuzu diesel generator serves as its auxiliary engine.