Damen supplies ferries to Zanzibar

The contract is for three vessels of the Damen Ferry 804 design and two of the Damen Ferry 1204 design, together with a spare parts package for the first year of operation and on-site training in operating and maintaining the vessels.

We are very pleased to be continuing our strong relationship with the government of Zanzibar,” said Paul van der Werf, Damen area service director, Africa. “We are confident that these new inshore ferries will provide years of service supporting the local tourism industry. We have designed them to be ideal for light passenger traffic in warm, protected waters anywhere in the world, particularly in remote locations where support may not be immediately available,” he added.

Built at Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld in the Netherlands and measuring eight metres and 12 metres in length respectively, they are new variants in Damen’s small ferry range, capable of carrying 30 and 70 people on benches on an open, self-draining deck with full length awnings. As part of the brief to deliver easy to maintain vessels, the propulsion systems are single waterjets powered by four-stroke, four-cylinder diesel engines with enclosed cooling systems giving an operational speed of around five knots.