Austal launches Hawaii superferry

Another important milestone in the development of Austal USA was achieved recently with the successful launch of Hull 615, a 107 metre high speed ropax catamaran for Hawaii Superferry.

Austal USA?s facilities in Mobile, Alabama, secured a floating drydock to the Austal sea wall on the Mobile River in front of the assembly bay. After ensuring that the drydock was properly aligned and secured the process of rolling the ferry out onto the drydock began with specialist operators maintaining an even distribution of weight at all times. This drydock was then towed back down river to deeper waters enabling it be submerged and float-off of the ferry allowing it to be berthed alongside the shipyard.

The ferry will now undergo final commissioning and sea trials before undertaking a delivery voyage to Hawaii where it will commence service. Hawaii Superferry?s first vessel is the largest aluminium vessel built in the USA to date, a testament to the establishment and investment by Austal since first acquiring the vacant land in 2000 and developing a purpose-built aluminium shipyard dedicated to the production of high speed, high technology aluminium vessels.

Following on from the prior completion of several smaller ferries up to 58 metres the ability of Austal USA to now build, engineer and launch a 107 metre design showcases what is being called a US ?centre of excellence? for high speed vessel construction. In developing its workforce size over seven years from a start up to numbers now approaching 850, Austal USA is able to leverage off Austal?s 19 year experience in Australia. In deliveries to follow the record set by the two 107 metre Hawaii Superferry catamarans will be further eclipsed with the launch of two 127 metre trimaran Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) also contracted and currently under construction for the US Navy at the Austal USA facility.

Construction is advanced on the second ferry which is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2009 following the launch of the first Littoral Combat Ship.

Each catamaran can carry 866 passengers and up to 282 cars (or a combination of 28, twelve metre trucks and 65 cars) and provide services connecting Honolulu to Maui and Kauai in three hours and from Honolulu to the Big Island in approximately four hours. With a draft of 3.6 metres and beam of 24 metres, the ferry will commute between the Hawaiian Islands at speeds up to 35 knots. The vessel is four decks high, including two decks for the car and truck loading, one deck for passengers and the bridge deck reserved for the pilot and his crew.

The ferry is powered by four MTU 20V 8000 M70 main engines connected to four ZF 53000 gearboxes. Manoeuvrability is supplied through four individually driven Kamewa 125 S11 waterjets.