Page 22: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 1995)
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EUROPEAN UPDATE dominate throughout the fast ferry scene, but Kvaerner Energy pack- ages with GM gas turbines will be used on the two 42-knot passenger/ vehicle Seajet 250 Swath ferries under construction at Danyard for
Mols-Linien. The same Kvaerner/
GE combination is to provide the larger turbine propulsion systems for three giant Stena HSS catama- ran ferries being built by Finnyards.
The first will eventually enter ser- vice on one of the Irish Sea routes.
With a capacity of 1,500 passengers and 375 cars, these vessels will op- erate at 40 knots.
The breakdown of the type of fast ferry built over the period 1989 to
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Circle 375 on Reader Service Card 1994 highlights interesting trends.
Although catamarans have always dominated, the proportion of monohulls is increasing, while Sur- face Effect Ship (SES) and Swath types seem to have virtually disap- peared. Fast ferries seem to be getting larger, faster and more so- phisticated. During 1994, only six fast combined passenger/vehicle fer- ries were built worldwide, but the number of outstanding orders had risen to 18. As the move increases towards larger vessels at greater unit cost, order numbers may be down, but shipyard revenue is only marginally affected.
It is worth noting that the Chan- nel Tunnel began operating at the beginning of the year and claimed 18 percent of the cross-Channel traf- fic. Interestingly, the market grew by 18 percent over the same period last year, leaving the ferry business unaffected.
The tug market
Recent orders placed, deliveries made and contracts mooted in the tug sector have also brought fresh hope to Europe's builders. Dutch yard Damen continues to supply its basic Stan Tug designs and, in keep- ing with current trends for high- power, multipurpose application and precision maneuverability, is offer- ing more sophisticated packages.
Portgarth, recently delivered to U.K. operator Cory Towage, is a good example. The vessel, which has just entered service, benefits from an
Aquamaster thruster and a Twin
Disc Marine Control Drive modu- lating clutch system.
Damen is also likely to benefit from news just released by leading
U.K. tug operator Howard Smith
Towage & Salvage — that it intends to spend more than $24 million on a program to improve its towage ser- vice. Six new tugs are to be intro- duced by mid-1996 and, although no official confirmation has been made, Damen and U.K. yard McTay
Marine are considered prime candi- dates. The vessels will be powerful, highly maneuverable and equipped for firefighting and anti-pollution activities.
Should U.K. yard McTay receive the orders, it will without doubt boost confidence in the new man- agement team, which bought the yard from the large, industrial
Mowlem Group some months back.
Recent deliveries from McTay in- clude a powerful Voith Schneider tractor tug for the Forth Ports Au- thority and a berthing/firefighting vessel late last year to the Abu Dhabi
Petroleum Ports Operating Com- pany. Elsewhere in the U.K., Hull- based Yorkshire Dry Dock is build- ing its first tug to date — a 108-ft. (33-m) vessel for Southampton's Red
Funnel Group — with an option on a second vessel.
Tug contracts are among the hot- test news at the Spanish
Construnaves group yards of Armon, 24 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
