Thruster retrofit for elderly ferry

The Norcon Galatea, is a 38m (125ft) ro-ro passenger vessel owned by Norcon Marine Services, which carries up to 70 passengers and 20 vehicles on the routes serving Bell Island and Portugal Cove, Newfoundland. The ship, previously known as Hamilton Sound, was owned by the Provincial Government, but sold and leased back in 2011 after extensive upgrades. However, a need for additional manoeuvring capabilities to enhance the twin propeller/single rudder arrangement was indentified, and Wesmar proposed its model V2-26 bow thruster, which has a power rating of 150-225hp.

The V2-26 is hydraulically powered with 660mm (26in) dual stainless steel counter-rotating propellers and drive leg. The system was installed in a 6.9m (18ft) steel tunnel. Wesmar claims that its thruster design provides up to 40% more thrust for a given tunnel size.

The thruster installation was carried out at Norcon’s sister company, Burry’s Shipyard, in Clarenville, Newfoundland, with technical supervision from Poseidon Marine Consultants. According to Poseidon’s Tim Wetzel: “As the naval architect responsible for the technical component of this retrofit, we were seeking a compact tunnel thruster with a high degree of thrust. The Norcon Galatea is a relatively shallow draught vessel with a high windage area. The selected Wesmar thruster was well suited for this purpose. Additionally, we appreciated the quality of provided specifications and drawings, as well as prompt technical support as the project progressed.”