Next generation trimaran revealed

Austal has officially unveiled its new 102m trimaran vehicle-passenger ferry platform, which is currently under construction at its Western Australian shipyard and available for purchase.

The new 102m long, 26.8m wide trimaran is an evolution of Austal?s 2005 trimaran ferry “Benchijigua Express” in every sense – optimising performance, sea keeping, fuel efficiency, passenger comfort and payload to deliver a next generation transportation solution.

The vessel utilises Austal?s trimaran technology, combining the softer roll of monohulls with the low resistance, stability and carrying capacity of catamarans, to open up new markets beyond existing fast ferry designs. A lower roll speed means lower accelerations experienced by passengers ? significantly reducing passenger seasickness.

The trimaran?s unique hydrodynamic hull form combined with its three 9,100 kW MTU 20V 8000 M71L high speed diesel plant delivers speed up to 39 knots and fuel efficiency across a range of operating conditions. The 700 DWT vessel will have a carrying capacity of up to 1,165 passengers together with 245 cars or 190 lane metres for trucks and 145 cars.