NOVEMBER 20, 2015 — Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) reports that group company Ferry Sunflower Limited is moving ahead with plans to construct two large-scale ROpax (roll-on/roll-off passenger) ferries. The newbuilding
NOVEMBER 13, 2015 — What’s the best way of stating the size and capacity of ROPAX (roll-on/roll-off passenger) vessels? Deadweight? Passenger capacity? Vehicle lane meters? The question has been made more relevant
Neptun Werft delivered the operator’s current flagship, Schleswig- Holstein, in 2011.The newly contracted vessel is due for delivery in February 2018. The contract price has not been disclosed.
“Neptun has provided us with an attractive offer and thus succeeded to compete against a number of other reputable German and European yards,” said WDR Managing Director Axel Meynköhn.
The newbuilding will replace the 1992-built conventional ferry Rungholt, which will be offered for sale.
S 578, as the project is currently designated, will be a near sister to the 2011-built Schleswig-Holstein and the series prototype, Uthlande, which was delivered by Sietas Werft in 2010.
Based on extensive research and external scientific consultation, WDR has again opted for a diesel-mechanic propulsion driving four Voith-Schneider propellers.
With identical main dimensions to Schleswig-Holstein (75.88 m long x 16.40 m wide), S 578 will also have the same maximum passenger capacity of 1,200 in day traffic. The car deck has, however, been modified to increase capacity for trucks. It will be the first WDR ferry to accommodate trucks on up to four lanes. With approximately 350 lane meters for private cars and 280 lane meters for cargo, S 578 will have significantly more capacity than the ship it is replacing, the Rungholt.
The inauguration of the new ship will see WDR operate three double-ended ferries on the Föhr-Amrum-Line from spring 2018. The 1995- built conventional ferry Nordfriesland will be retained as a fourth ship to cover seasonal traffic in summer and replacement operations in the off-season.
Neptun Werft Managing Director Manfred Müller-Fahrenholz, says the committed after-sales service provided to the “Schleswig-Holstein” has – along with a competitive offer – helped to win the new contract to Rostock.”With the delivery of S 578,” he says, “WDR will have an extremely young and eco-friendly fleet. In contrast, other European domestic operators are yet facing the replacement of their current short-distance ferries. We aim to contribute to this process and hope to support also other operators in bringing their fleet up to latest technical and environmental standards.
WDR’s newest ferry has, like the Schleswig-Holstein, been designed according to the strict requirements of the German eco-standards RAL-UZ 141 and RAL-UZ 110, which formulate the standards for the German Blauer Engel (Blue Angel) ecolabel in the categories of Environmentally Friendly Ship Design as well as Environmentally Friendly Ship Operation.
Launched at the end of March by Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania the vessel will start services from Fogo Island and Change Islands before the end of November.
MV Veteran was delivered by the shipbuilder on time and within budget.MV Veteran is the first of a two-vessel contract. Its design results from a partnership between Fleetway of Canada and Denmark’s Knud E. Hansen.
Several Canadian companies have provided services, rangingrom electrical equipment to fire-fighting systems, for the MV Veteran and its sister ship, the MV Legionnaire, which is scheduled for delivery from Galati in the spring of 2016 and will operate on the busy short-haul route from Portugal Cove to Bell Island.
The Veteran will replace the MV Earl Windsor built in 1975. The Legionnaire will replace the MV Beaumont Hamel built in 1985.
Both vessels are part of a large “lifeline” vessel replacement program being undertaken by the Provincial Government to modernize its fleet, which annually transports over 900,000 passengers, 400,000 vehicles and 20,000 tonnes of freight with more than 50,000 arrivals and departures.
As the region in which they operate is located near the Arctic, the vessels have to maneuver in drifting ice.
According to Damen Manager North America Jan van Hogerwou, the two new ferries can handle the impact of 40 cm-thick floating ice at 4 knots.
“Their rudders, hull and propellers have been strengthened and are outfitted with extra plate thickness for heavy winter conditions,” he says.
Damen Ferries Product Director Henk Grunstra says: “The highest certificate available for ferries is the Ice Class 1A Super certificate. These diesel-electric propelled vessels also have redundant systems. The bridge is ergonomically designed and has optimal working space for efficient and safe operation. The modern, low maintenance interior was designed by an internationally recognized designer. The shift crew lives on board the ship in 15 single crew cabins.”
A Canadian service and support hub for these vessels is being established. A certified Damen maintenance center will be located in the capital of the Newfoundland and Labrador region, St. John’s. An agreement with a local Newfoundland-based company is in place and its employees are currently being trained at Damen Shipyards Galati.
Working in conjunction with Maine Composites Alliance and Martin Grimnes, a Norwegian composites expert living in Maine, Arcadia Alliance is aiming its highly efficient ferries at state and federal agencies seeking to replace aging, less efficient passenger vessels.
Brødrene Aa designs and builds carbon-fiber passenger vessels in a modern shipyard, well suited for manufacturing of composite products, with a total of 3,000 square meters of fully moisture-and temperature controlled indoor facilities, The company has built 50 carbon ferries to date.
Carbon fiber ferries are lighter weight and consume less fuel than aluminum or fiberglass vessels, releasing fewer emissions into the air.
“Given the significance of ferry transport to travelers in coastal regions coupled with concerns about gas consumption and emissions, efficiency of our country’s ferries is critical,” says J.B. Turner, president of Front Street Shipyard. “Brødrene Aa has a progressive design to reduce consumption and emissions, and they have an exceptionally efficient construction method we can apply to the U.S. ferry market at Front Street Shipyard.”
Brødrene Aa is a 60-year-old company that introduced the world’s first carbon-fiber passenger vessel more than a decade ago.
It has built 50 carbon ferries to date. Last month it won an international tender issued by Guangzhou Panyu Lianhuashan Port Passenger Transport Co., Ltd , (subsidiary of Chu Kong Shipping Enterprises Holdings Co. Ltd) to design and build two coastal high speed catamarans for Hong Kong. The contract is for two identical vessels; both made of carbon fiber composites, each with a capacity of 270 passengers.
Representatives from Front Street Shipyard met with officers of Brødrene Aa in Hyen earlier this summer.
“Given Front Street Shipyard’s modern facility and boatbuilding capabilities, we believe their team can deliver the same high-quality vessels in the United States that we produce in Norway,” said Leif Riksheim, chairman of the board at Brødrene Aa.
The organizations are now working together to develop ferry designs for U.S. waters. The Arcadia Alliance sales team will begin marketing the boats later this year, with hopes that Front Street Shipyard will be able to begin construction on the first fast ferry in 2016.
Recent contracts won by Brødrene Aa include two 270 passenger coastal high speed catamarans for Hong Kong
OCTOBER 7, 2015—King County’s newest vessel, the M/V Doc Maynard, started service on the Vashon route on September 29 sailing from Pier 50. The ferry replaced her sister ship, the M/V Sally
Propulsion for high-speed ferry will be supplied by two Caterpillar C32 ACERT diesel engines that drive two 40 in fixed pitch propellers. The engines are rated at 970 kW at 2,100 rev/min. The ferry will have a service speed of 28 knots and maximum speed of 30 knots.
The BV-class 90 ft 3 in x 26 ft 3 in ferry will be able to accommodate 151 passengers in a full width cabin on its main deck. This area includes interior seating, a cargo luggage area, locker rooms for switchboards, and an entertainment bar. Aft of the cabin there will be three restrooms and a luggage room to hold cargo. A swim deck is featured below, on the aft portion of the main deck.
The mid deck cabin will accommodate 40 passengers and another 13 in outdoor seating aft. Forward of the cabin, is the pilothouse, including two captain’s chairs and a chart table. The port and starboard side feature a wing control station.
The Hobart shipyard will commence work on construction of the wave piercing catamaran immediately, with delivery scheduled for the first quarter of 2017.
The newbuild super ferry, Incat hull number 088, will be named KatExpress 3, the fast ferry will be an upgraded and more customer-friendly version of near sister-ship vessels KatExpress 1 (Incat hull 066) and KatExpress 2 (Incat 067). The new fast ferry can take up to 1,000 tonnes of cargo, equivalent to up to 1,000 passengers and 417 cars. LikeKatExpress 1 and KatExpress 2, the new fast ferry will carry trucks, campervans, motorcycles and bicycles.
KatExpress 3 is expected to commence operation on the Mols Linien route between Aarhus and Odden and the route between Ebeltoft and Odden in late May 2017.
KatExpress 3 is likely to replace the company’s smallest ferry Max Mols, an Incat 91 m vessel (Incat hull 048) built in 1999.
Incat Chairman, Robert Clifford, in Copenhagen Denmark at the Interferry Conference said “A large ship order to a repeat customer is proof positive of the quality and reliability of the vessels our team build in Tasmania. This is the third Incat ship that Mols Linien have added to their fleet in a period of just four years”.
Incat Tasmania Managing Director Simon Carter said “We have been working on the project for some time, and although the design team still have some finer details to complete, construction will commence immediately”.
“The 250 production staff are currently building four passenger vessels for Manly Fast Ferries, with another six boat order for Sydney Ferries to commence in 2016. This new large ship order will secure work for an expanded workforce for at least a further two years”.
In a statement to the Danish Stock Exchange Mols-Linien announced that since the inauguration of the first super ferry it has increased the number of passenger cars it carries by 58 percent in the period from 2011 to 2014.
The first vessel, the SeaStar 5, was delivered earlier this year to existing Damen customer Seaspovill,
Built at Damen Shipyards Singapore, the SeaStar 5 is a DFF 4212 ferry, 42.2 m in length with a beam of 11.6 m built to carry 450 people between Gangneung on the east coast of South Korea and the island of Ulleung-Do.
High levels of comfort characterize the passenger spaces, which are distributed over the main deck, which can accommodate 306 persons, and the upper deck, which caters for 144.
Powered by four MTU main engines (16V2000 M72), Sea Star 5 can reach speeds exceeding 40 knots.
The second delivery this year came in May, when operator Daezer Shipping took delivery of a DFFe 4212 named Sunrise. Delivered within three months of ordering, the vessel has the same powering arrangement and same speed capability as the SeaStar 5.
Sunrise is currently operating a route of very popular tourist destinations on Koreas East-coast from the island of Ulleung to Dokdo.
As a relatively new ferry operator and new customer to Damen, this recent acquisition has seen Daezer increase service offering in the region.
The third delivery of the year took place in late August when the Queen Star 2 was delivered to established operator Seaworld Express Ferry Co. for operation on a three-hour route from Usuyoung Port to the popular tourist destination of Jeju Island via Chujado Island.
This is the first delivery of Damen’s newly designed DFFe 4010 with a controllable pitch propeller (CPP), providing increased fuel efficiency at different speeds and loading conditions.
Although slightly smaller than the DFFe 4212, the DFFe 4010 can accommodate to the same amount of 450 maximum passengers and with two engines instead of four; the vessel can still reach a top speed of 35 knots.
The main deck allows for four passenger loading stations and features a large cabin, hosting 286 first-class seats, 20 lounge seats, and four handicap accommodation seating areas. The cabin also features a kid’s play area with surrounding seating.
On the aft deck is a cargo room with cargo loading gates, able to fit a portable conveyor belt for efficient loading and unloading. The aft deck also features three restrooms, one of them handicapped accessible.
The mid deck features cabin hosting 144 first-class seats and 32 lounge seats.
Forward of the cabin is the raised wheelhouse, with wing control stations on port and starboard sides. Aft of the cabin, a spacious deck that offers 112 exterior seats. A mini-bar is located in the center of the arrangement with a stage for entertainment behind the cabin.
The upper deck provides a large observation area including 36 exterior seats.Five MTU 16V400M63L engines power the ferries five Hamilton HM-811 water jets via ZF-7650 gearboxes, giving it a service speed of 37 knots.
Electrical requirements are met by two 150 ekW generator sets.
A 200hp bow thruster will enhance maneuverability and station keeping.
No word on the shipbuilder.
