Schottel propels North Carolina ferries

The vessels are designed by C. Fly Marine and will be equipped with a total of nine Schottel twin propellers type STP 150 L. Construction is taking place at Gulf Island Shipyards in Houma, Louisiana, United States.

“This project involves close cooperation with Schottel in order to identify highly reliable innovations for sustainable propulsion systems. Schottel’s international network and knowledge have made the Schottel offering an ideal solution for us,” said the future owner.

Each of the electrically driven ferries will be equipped with four twin propellers type STP 150 L with a propeller diameter of 1.05m. Schottel’s twin propeller concept increases propulsion efficiency and reduces fuel consumption thanks to its load sharing across the two propellers. Furthermore, the low-loaded propellers lead to reduced noise emissions and pressure pulses, making the system ideal for passenger vessels.

Both ferries will also be equipped with the Schottel condition monitoring system – S-COM SMART -enabling condition-based maintenance, which can lead to significant cost savings compared to conventional maintenance methods.

About 800,000 vehicles and 1.8 million passengers cross the rivers and sounds of Eastern North Carolina each year. The 59m by 14m vessels will replace the smaller Hatteras-class ferries currently in service and are capable of carrying 40 vehicles, seven-person crews, and 300 passengers.

The ferries are scheduled for delivery in 2020.