is only one model of the SeaRey but different hull designs of increasing strength have developed over the years, designated as "A," "B" and "C" hulls. The latest "C" hull is available in either carbon fiber or fiberglass. The windshield and the sliding canopies on either side are made of Lexan. The canopies are track-mounted, can be opened in flight and can also be locked closed on the ground. The SeaRey's single engine is mounted above the wing, and drives a single rear-facing pusher propeller. The SeaRey can be equipped with the Rotax 582, Rotax 912, Rotax 912S or the Rotax 914 turbocharged engine which produces . In December 2017 the design was undergoing testing with the turbocharged Rotax 915 iS engine. The SeaRey's landing gear consists of two main retractable wheels and a tailwheel in conventional landing gear configuration. Originally the landing gear was retracted for water operations by means of a mechanical Johnson-bar lever that raises or lowers all three wheels simultaneously. More recent retraction options include: manual, hydraulic or electric. The electric actuator is the newest and most popular, but the manual is the lightest. According to the factory construction time for an experienced builder to complete a SeaRey is about 400 hours, with 600 hours typical for a first time builder. Operational history In 2012, author Richard Bach flew the SeaRey he named Puff, from Florida to his home near Seattle. That trip was chronicled in his book, Travels With Puff: A Gentle Game of Life and Death. In Puff, Bach suffered near-fatal injuries in a landing accident on San Juan Island, Washington in late 2012. He later wrote about the accident, and both his and Puff's recovery, in the book, Illusions II: The Adventures of a Reluctant Student. In 2015, over the course of seven months, pilot Michael Smith flew around the world in a SeaRey, setting a record as the first person to fly a solo circumnavigation of the globe in a single-engine flying boat. Smith chronicled his journey in the book, "Voyage of the Southern Sun." Variants SeaRey Adventure Model with a fiberglass hull, powered by a Rotax 912S or a Rotax 914 turbocharged engine, plus analog instrument panel, sold as a ready-to-fly Special Light-sport Aircraft in the US, with a gross weight. SeaRey Elite Model with a carbon fiber hull, powered by a Rotax 914 turbocharged engine, with glass cockpit instrument panel