Voith to propel Gironde ferry

The Gironde Delta in the south-west of France is to get another double ended ferry to run on the service across a six-kilometre stretch between the riverine towns of Verdon sur Mer and Royan. The ferry connection saves passengers a detour of approximately 155 kilometers and/or a car trip lasting some three hours. The new ferry will be built at the French shipyard of Chantier Piriou in Concarneau, Brittany, and is expected to take up service in spring 2010. It is owned by the public authority Conseil Général de la Gironde, which also operates the sister ship ?La Gironde? which entered service in 2002.

Just like the first ferry, the new ship specifies a draught limit of only 2.60 metres and, as a result of this limitation and the required sailing speed of at least 13.6 knots, the drive of the new ferry has to be divided into four Voith Turbo Schneider propulsors of the type 21R5/135-2. The authority has ordered a fifth propeller as a spare.

Owing to large tidal differences, the river mouth of the Gironde into the Gulf of Biscay is characterized by strong currents, varying flow directions and fierce, blustery winds. This challenging marine environment requires a high sailing stability and reliability and the owner has once again opted for Voith Schneider propeller as the ferry’s propulsion system. Independently of the direction of prevailing currents, the VSP operates with continuously high efficiency ensuring a safe and economical ferry connection.

Like the current ferry, the new ferry will have a capacity for 600 passengers and 138 cars or alternatively six trucks plus 93 cars. It will be 78 metres long and 18.3 metres wide. In recent years, ferry traffic has increased significantly, not least because of the area’s growing popularity with tourists. Each ferry gets through approximately 6,000 operating hours per year.