DHI scoops ferry deal

Daewoo Heavy Industries is continuing to secure itself a foothold in the luxury passenger newbuilding field by winning a contract to build two fast cruise ferries for a European operator. Moby Lines, which is part of Italy’s Onorato Group, has placed an order for two newbuildings capable of carrying up to 2,000 passengers and approximately 700 cars.

To be named Moby Wonder and Moby Freedom, the vessels are scheduled to be delivered in Spring 2001, when they will be deployed on short sea Mediterranean routes. Main dimensions will include a length of 179m, a beam of 27m and a draught of 7m. Accommodation will be provided in 300 cabins over two decks, with a third deck being dedicated to public spaces.

The order for the 5,500 dwt newbuildings, which will operate at a service speed of 29 knots, is significant for both owner and yard alike. It is the first cruise ferry newbuilding ordered by Moby Lines, and for DHI, it signals an increasing presence in a newbuilding sector it has been trying to break into for some time.

According to Vincenzo Onorato, owner of the Onorato Group, DHI was chosen for its “technical skills and the short delivery terms: not a single European yard was in the position to guarantee completion of both vessels within the Spring 2001.”