Page 11: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 1993)

NEW TECHNOLOGY

QUAD Rl MAR AN :

Patented Product Line Capable Of 60 Knots

A new hull design has been de- veloped and patented by a team of engineers, headed by Daniel Toilet of Quadrimaran Intl., which prom- ises to greatly improved efficiency in speed, economics and environ- mental concerns, with no compro- mise in comfort and costs. While the design is most impressive based on early test results and manufac- turer claims-one being that the design helps cut fuel consumption up to 50 percent and provides more stability than a SWATH design- the design is really just the half of it. Developers of the revolutionary vessel have taken an "aircraft in- dustry approach" to building the vessels, offering a choice of seven models ranging in size from the 80- foot version to the 492-foot version, all capable of going 60 knots, said

Trond Conradi, president, Balti- more Steam Packet Co., the organi- zation which markets the revolu- tionary vessel to the North and

South American markets. The ves- sels are built from the compilation of several modules, which are sub- contracted out to the most competi- tive bidder.

For production of the prototype (two years ago) and two 80-foot ver- sions for delivery to the Bay of Saint

Pierre, Mr. Conradi and his asso- ciates were unable to find an estab- lished ship production facility which could build the vessels at a price the developer deemed competitive. So

Quadrimaran purchased a facility in Marseille, France, and in essence became its own contractor, subcon- tracting out the modules to be built.

The Quadrimaran is a high-speed, planing surface effect vessel which uses both hydrodynamic and aero- dynamic forces to achieve safety, speed and economy in operation. • Unique Four-Hull Design

The vessel uses four wedge-shaped hulls under a main deck structure to create a platform for a choice of dif- ferent superstructures. When the vessel moves forward, a combina- tion of surf effect and air over pres- sure in the three tunnels between the hulls lifts the platform, thereby reducing the displacement and the wetted surface, which means less resistance and hull friction. The air pillow between the hulls also acts as a shock absorber, helping to reduce vertical slamming in heavy seas.

The vessel is designed in accor- dance with the rules and regula- tions for high-speed light displace- ment crafts by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and the International Mari- time Organization (IMO). • Multi-Task Vessel

Worldwide market research com- piled by Quadrimaran predicts there will be a need for approximately 3,000 high speed vessels over the next decade. While the Quadrimaran design has all the earmarks of fast ferry, Mr. Conradi assures that the design was developed with many more uses in mind. The top five uses for the vessel include: passenger vessel, freight vessel, utility vessel, government/army vessel and leisure vessel. Some of the main features of the vessel which allow it to be so versatile include: its stability and seakeeping at high speeds in heavy seas; its extreme shallow draft, and zero draft up front to allow the ves- sel to be easily beached; its high speed with low fuel costs; and its very low wake profile, a direct re- sult of its very low displacement.

The Quadrimaran strategy sup- ports a market-oriented product line of capacity-based "quadrimaran platforms." In essence, the owner gets what the owner needs. All of the models can accommodate var- ious types of superstructures, mak- ing the modular and flexible design compliant to most situations. • Building Partners

Market forces will eventually de- termine where the vessels are built, said Mr. Conradi. He and his col- leagues are on the search for part- ner yards, with the facilities, good (Continued on page 14)

Caterpillar diesel engines sit shrink-wrapped in back of the first Quadrimaran vessel to be built for a commercial customer at the Quadrimaran facility in France.

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