Ferries Australia to Build 82 Metre Fast Ferry for TT Line
Ferries Australia Pty Ltd has confirmed the sale of an 82 metre fast ferry to leading German based operator, TT Line the biggest shipping operator in the Baltic region, where it operates seven vessels on two routes.
Last year TT Lines carried approximately one million passengers between Germany and Sweden, almost half of the total traffic.
The 82 metre passenger and car carrying catamaran is intended to operate on the busy route between the north German ports of Rostock/Warnemunde and Trelleborg, Sweden, joining TT Line's seven vessels already operating the Baltic region.
"The sale is a great achievement for Ferries Australia and we look forward to working with TT Line on this exciting project," said Managing Director of Ferries Australia, Chris Norman.
During a visit to Western Australia earlier this year, TT Line representatives were very impressed with sea trials on board the company's recently completed "Auto Express 79", a slightly smaller version of the 82 metre car and passenger carrying ferry.
"After an extensive review of the market, we believe that TT Line chose our design because it offers an outstanding combination of capacity and performance," said Mr Norman.
With a wide beam of 23 metres, the "Auto Express" design has an exceptional carrying capacity of 600 passengers and 175 cars with a fully laden service speed of 36 knots. Alternatively the vehicle deck can be configured to accommodate four tourist buses and 124 cars, or ten buses and 34 cars.
The vehicle deck will have eight main deck and six mezzanine deck lanes, with loading and unloading via the stern door in a "U" shape drive around arrangement. Some of the on board facilities include a large duty free shop, atrium, bars, cafeteria and audio-visual entertainment.
The vessel will be powered by four MTU diesel engines, and to ensure optimum passenger comfort, will be fitted with a fully computerised T Foil stabilising system.
The T Foil system represents a second generation "Ocean Leveller" stabilising system and was developed specifically for the large ocean going "Auto Express" designs. The system, with T Foil control surfaces fully submerged beneath the hulls, was developed by Austal Ships in conjunction with the Australian Maritime engineering Cooperative Research Centre, and significantly reduces vessel motion and the incidence of sea sickness.
The principal dimensions of the vessel are overall length of 82.3 metres, length waterline 69.0 metres, moulded breadth of 23 metres and draft of 2.5 metres.
Four MTU 20V 1163 TB73 diesels each developing 6000kW will each drive KaMeWa waterjets through Reintjes gearboxes. The quadruple diesel/gearbox/waterjet driven vessel will ensure a service speed of 36 knots at 90% maximum continuous rating.
The vessel will incorporate the yard's semiswath hull design and be built to Germanischer Lloyd Classification in accordance with the International Code of Safety for High Speed craft.
Construction is currently underway in the Henderson shipyard of Austal Ships and is due for delivery to Europe in mid 1996.
Ferries Australia Pty Ltd is the joint venture between two of Australia's most successful shipbuilders Austal Ships and Oceanfast International. The joint venture was formed in early 1994 to cater specifically to the larger end of the fast ferry industry. Design and production to date has specialised in fast car and passenger carrying catamaran vessels of the 80 metre size range.
