Boosting size and speed

In their efforts to reduce transit times and attract more passengers, operators are looking to bigger, faster ferries.

Incat`s latest high-speed vehicle-carrying ferry boasts the ability to carry its own weight, 800t, in freight. The 96m Devil Cat catamaran Incat 050 accommodates a broad mix of light and heavy road freight plus a total of 600 persons, and has been designed to give fast ferry companies more flexibility, allowing for more efficient and economic operation.

Australian operator TT Line has already earmarked the vessel for charter on its Bass Strait service, having been more than satisfied with the performance of Incat`s earlier two ships on the route. It will use Incat 050 to cope with the influx of passengers wanting to travel from the mainland to Tasmania during the summer months.

Increasingly the fast ferry industry is seeing larger, faster newbuildings. Emerging designs are recognising the need to provide operators with more choices, allowing them to cope more effectively with seasonal fluctuations in traffic, and alterations in routes. At the same time, builders are increasingly looking to make dramatic weight savings through more extensive use of aluminium and adhesives, even in the largest newbuildings, and are increasing volumes. And where higher speeds are being specified, gas turbines are becoming a progressively more popular choice with more environmentally-aware owners.