Spain secures Faroe ferry order

Spanish shipbuilder Izar has secured another valuable ferry order in the shape of a ropax to be operated by Strandfaraskip Landsins (SSL), the state-owned shipping company of the Faroe Islands. This ferry company currently operates 10 ferries and its activities are concentrated on domestic routes transporting goods and passengers between the many islands of this self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark.

The construction of the 12,357g vessel will be undertaken by Izar?s facility at San Fernando Shipyard, located in southern Spain, which has hitherto focused on carrying out research, development and building of steel and aluminium fast ferries, naval craft and mega yachts. Competition for the order was, predictably, strong and the contract marks the yard?s first step into the conventional roro and passenger ferry market.

The order will provide the workforce with employment for the next 30 months in addition to the manufacturing of the propulsion plant by the company?s own

Propulsion

and Energy Division. The ferry is planned to enter service in the summer of 2004.

Design criteria

In autumn 2000, SSL contracted with Knud E Hansen A/S (KEH) of Denmark to draw up a design of a ropax vessel to replace the 1969 built Smyril operating on the route between Torshavn and Suder?. Consultations with the local industry and population of Suder? were part of the design process and the summary was presented in a so-called ?specification of requirements?. At an early stage in the design process, KEH worked out a number of design concepts which were presented to SSL at a so-called ?start-up meeting? and, in this way, the ship owner?s ideas were integrated in the design at a very early stage.

During this preliminary stage, KEH was invited to sail onboard the current ferry on the route in order to experience the conditions in which the new vessel will be operating and also to observe the routines and comments of the crew.

The resultant design, called 800/1000 Pax-Ferry ?New Smyril?, is very much an efficient ?workhorse? capable of servicing the route in all weather conditions and with a high degree of reliability. This shipping route is the only connection for the inhabitants and industry on Suder? to the capital of the Faroes and has been designed with a high degree of redundancy.

The weather conditions during the winter can be very rough and the vessel is intended to operate in strong winds and difficult sea conditions. Another requirement was for all shipboard equipment and systems to be capable of functioning in ambient temperatures as low as -20oC. The vessel has also been designed with a high degree of flexibility with respect to various cargo types, as there is a great variation in the number of passengers, cars, lorries, trailers, MAFI?s, road cranes etc. Additionally, it also has to service other ports in the Faroe Islands some of which only have basic quayside facilities and have navigational constraints such as shallow water depths and narrow approach channels.

Special features

As a result of the ?specification of requirements?, the vessel will be built with two stern ramps, a starboard ramp and a turning area on the car deck since no bow ramp is fitted. The accommodation for the 976 passengers has been arranged in the centre of the vessel in order to minimise accelerations and movement in bad weather conditions, ensuring maximum comfort for passengers. The interior design has been configured in a flexible manner so that one or more areas can be closed in the winter period when there are fewer passengers.

Offering a planned payload capacity of 970 lane metres, the New Smyril will be able to carry the equivalent of 200 cars or 50 cars on the hoistable car deck and 60 trailers of 18m long. In addition to being able to carry a mix of cars, trucks and MAFI trailers, the newbuilding will also be able to stow hazardous cargoes.

The vessel will be fitted with two bow thrusters, an anti-heeling system able to counteract the weight of two trailers simultaneously running on the same side, and a pair of retractable stabilisers capable of reducing the vessel rolling by a claimed 90%.

Car deck

The car deck has been designed with two stern ramps, a central casing, and two hoistable car decks, one on each side of the casing. When the hoistable decks are in use, trailers have one free lane on each side of the vessel and in the turning area. This arrangement makes it possible to load both cars and trailers simultaneously, without having to hoist or lower the hoistable decks. The flexibility of mixing cars and trailers is thereby optimised and the turnaround time in ports can be kept at a minimum.

Propulsion

To choose the right propulsion solutions, several options were evaluated and included azimuthing propellers without rudders, azipod propulsors without rudders, twin FP propellers powered by diesel electric and twin CP propellers driven via gearbox by diesel mechanical engines. The solution of two CP propellers, two gears and four diesel mechanical engines was finally selected after complexity, redundancy, initial cost and running expenses, manoeuvrability, spare parts, etc. had been evaluated and considered.

The main propulsion plant comprises four diesel MAN B&W 7L 32/40 engines, coupled in pairs to double input reduction gears powering two CP propellers giving a service speed of 21 knots. Onboard power will be supplied by two power take-off generators, four generating sets driven by diesel engines and an emergency generator.

The vessel will be supplied with a fully automated, 24-hour “unattended engine room”, enabling every operational parameter to be monitored and controlled from the bridge control board.