New ferry design for South China Sea

Knud E Hansen and CS Marine have already worked on the concept design and tender documentation for the Bo Hai Shipyard, which was awarded the contract for construction of the first vessel by the Local Government of Hainan Province.

The design is for a conventionally-propelled ro-ro passenger vessel to transport vehicles and containers on a single cargo deck in compliance with Chinese Classification Society Rules and Chinese Flag regulations. It will have capacity for 444 passengers in high standard accommodation, and a crew complement of 91. There will be about 350 lane-metres of cargo deck, and capacity for some 1,200t of containers, loaded via a quarter ramp on the starboard side, so the ship can operate to ports without dedicated loading facilities. Large tank volumes for fresh water and HFO will enable the ship to service routes to various outlying islands, allowing it to act as a regular ferry or undertake longer voyages up to 30 days duration as a cruise ship.

Particular attention has been paid to the comfort of the vessel which is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 19 knots in normal sea condition, with accommodation including bars, cafeteria, conference rooms and cinema. The visual appearance, including a distinctive funnel, has been developed in conjunction with the shipowner.