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All aboard Leela! Sri Lanka’s first ever sunset and deep sea cruise


At the cosy holiday home in Wattala-Villa by the Edge- is where you first meet Leela (her original name is unknown though). A grand old lady, born in the USA in 1940s whose prowess has been tested under the most challenging sea conditions including in the Atlantic waters. Having reached the shores of Sri Lanka ‘out of the blue’ in 2014; now spending her days lazing around the beautiful landscape dotted with sunset skies and turquoise blue ocean, with those travel loving and wanting to be adventurous in deep sea. 

Leela - a classic USA made fly bridge model wooden boat, custom built on a lobster boat hull, brought down to Sri Lanka by an ardent marine and flying enthusiast, now offers a unique sailing experience in Sri Lanka. The boat operates its sunset harbour cruise and deep sea fishing cruise at Kelani river mouth in Wattala before it moves to Trincomalee Harbour after April for the east coast season.

Leela’s story is as fascinating as its sailing experience. The owner, having seen the boat on an ebay auction decided to bid for it purely out of fun. The initial cost aside, spending twice more for transporting the boat from where it was to New York and for other logistics involved in shipping.  It was fully refurbished afterwards by local craftsmen who worked on it for three years to restore the boat for its original grandeur, retaining its design features such as the twin 220 HP GM V8 diesels while upgrading with a fully redundant navigation instrumentation, radar, sonar, marine radio and even an AIS-B transceiver.
Revamping process over, the boat was named Leela.  Named after the child hood nanny who took care of its present owner as a fitting tribute to the loving, old lady - Leela- who is no more!

Though made for deep sea fishing in the Atlantic, Leela has accustomed well for Sri Lankan waters.  With a deck space having the capacity to accommodate 10-15 people at a given time, the boat is designed for safety and comfort.  A fully -fledged cabin with Wi-Fi, washroom, it has many extras such as linen, towels, fridge, cooker, kettle plus a small library. Also fitted with modern personal safety equipment and a backup generator for emergency purposes. With a four member crew- all ex Navy officers (quite accommodating they are too) the boat has all the approvals required to operate in open waters.
It was in late 2018 that the idea to turn this boat, (which is worth around 30-35million in today’s market) into a pleasure craft occurred to the host of the cruise -Gihan to connect Sri Lankans with its first ever deep sea and sunset cruise experience. As an ardent hobbyist and model & sports flyer, Gihan had introduced many firsts to Sri Lanka with a vision to promote hobby culture in Sri Lanka. In 2012 he co-founded Sri Lanka’s first online hobby store -Hobby Tech Lanka. Similarly, his latest venture- Leela brings a brilliant cruise adventure ideal for a quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city life; to spend a few hours in relaxation getting a panoramic view of the breathtaking sunset skies, excellent views of the surroundings that can be enjoyed from the boat’s fly bridge, lower deck or the foredeck.






A perfect family or party boat, Leela is ideal for marine spotting, deep sea sports fishing (catch and release), partying with your colleagues, family trips or for special celebrations.  Soon there will also be a Sunday breakfast cruise with Kiribath (milk rice) and a sea bath added to its line of activities. 

Sailing with Leela is not without its heart stopping moments- particularly when traversing through the rough waves. Yet the spectacular scenery you encounter when the engine run low to navigate with the sea waves - fishing trawlers that pass by or the view of the new harbor and Port City - is complete bliss indeed.
With a great host onboard to keep you entertained with many intriguing stories about Leela plus a cosy villa that awaits with refreshments and all the unwinding you need after a few hours of adventure in the deep sea … sounds like a great holiday escapade, isn’t it?
So get on-board!
 More information on its FB page -Sport Fishing and Deep Sea Cruiseshttps://www.facebook.com/LeelaCMB/



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