Austal markets its ride control system

Austal`s new company, Seastate, started trading on November 1 and is poised to build a multi-million dollar global business from selling ride control and possibly, at a future date, other high-tech specialist ship systems.

The ride control systems, which reduce sea sickness for passengers by substantially reducing motion levels of high-speed craft, have been installed in 39 Austal-built vessels since 1992, including ferries and patrol boats.

The system is currently being installed in Oceanfast, a 52m luxury motor yacht under construction by Austal for a Greek client, and the technology is likely to be employed for high-speed freight vessels.

Seastate is initially focusing its marketing attention on northern hemisphere buyers, however it is confident of finding a fertile market in the Asian region when buyers there begin to loosen their purse strings within the next few years.

Retail price for the ride control systems will vary according to the installation, with a system for a 35m paramilitary vessel costing around A$300,000 ($192,000) to over A$1 million ($640,000) for an 86m car ferry.

Seastate general manager Tony Elms, the former Austal naval architect who has played a major role in designing and refining the technology since the early 1990s, says he is confident demand would justify an initial two years of intensive research and development.

“If 50 high-speed vessels are built each year they could all benefit from this type of ride control,” Mr Elms says. “We don`t give a second thought to maximising passenger comfort on an aircraft. It`s only a matter of time before passengers adopt the same expectations for sea transport.”