High-speed monohull for Indonesia

An Indonesian/German joint venture has seen the delivery of the first in a series of five fast passenger ferries built to enhance Indonesia`s island transportation network.

In 1995 the Indonesian state-owned line ASDP (Angkutan Sungai Danau dan Penyeberangan – Ferry Line for River and Coastal Transportation) placed an order for a series of five high-speed passenger ferries of a new monohull design. Initial plans are that the vessels will operate mainly between Java and Kalimantan and Sulawesi.

The newbuilding contract has revived a long- standing relationship between the German yard of Lurssen and Indonesian builders PT Pal, based in Surabaya on the island of Java. The two have co-operated on a number of newbuilding projects since the late 1970s. Bremen-based Lurssen is responsible for the construction of the vessels, designated type FPF 62-010, while the East Java state-owned yard is responsible for manufacturing equipment and much of the outfitting.

The resultant design is a 69.80m loa deep-vee monohull with a parallel wedge shaped stern. The shell above the waterline is constructed mainly of extruded aluminium profiles, supplied by Hoogovens, of The Netherlands. The profiles are plugged into one another and welded from one side, a process which has, says the German yard, resulted in less welding joints and reduced production time. The bottom structure consists of conventional plates and stiffeners, with high tensile aluminium alloy selected in order to keep the material thickness as low as possible. Further low weight has been achieved by using FRP composites for various parts of the superstructure.