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developed, at the request of certain operators on routes subject to sea- sonal variations, with reinforced access ramps and a main vehicle deck to accommodate trailers with a 13-ton axle load. The company is also investigating the use of gas turbine propulsion for customers looking for operational speeds in excess of 40 knots, and CODAG systems involving a central tur- bine-driven waterjet with wing diesel/jet arrangements. The largest design in the Corsaire fam- ily is the 13000, measuring 450 ft. (137 m) and featuring a steel hull and aluminum superstructure.

This vessel is designed to be capa- ble of transporting 1,000 passen- gers, 290 cars and six coaches.

Vehicles will be accommodated on three decks, with passenger seat- ing restricted to a single deck in three separate lounges. The fore part of the ship is of unique design, featuring two symmetrical bow visors and a watertight door locat- ed well aft of the forward ramps.

Access at the stern will be by four ramps to speed up loading, with both port and starboard entry to each of the two car decks. A

CODAG propulsion system com- prising two 23-MW General

Electric LM 2500 gas turbines and two 6-MW diesel engines is speci- fied to provide operational speeds of approximately 42 knots.

While a natural market exten- sion of its naval vessel expertise, the move by Leroux & Lotz into fast ferries has not exactly been smooth and trouble free.

The Corsaire 6000 for Emeraude

Lines — built in 1994 to carry 400 passengers and 42 cars at 30 knots — was only used on the St. Malo-

Channel Islands route for four months. Teething troubles caused a degree of unreliability, and a first set of modifications were carried out. Following completion of this work, sea trials apparently failed to convince Emeraude that the ves- sel would perform as needed, and the company declined to take the vessel back.

More extensive alterations have been made by the builder, and while specific details were not yet available, the company reported: "The ship was completely re- engined during the last quarter of 1995 with four new engines, and performed extremely well in exten- sive trials. Adverse weather condi- tions encountered during these tri- als were again the occasion to demonstrate the high level of per- formance and comfort of the ship.

The vessel is currently on her way to a new owner in Tahiti where she will enter service on the Papeete to

Moorea route."

Shortly after announcing its deci- sion regarding the Corsaire 6000,

Emeraude ordered a 197-ft. (60-m)

JumboCat 50 from Kvaerner, spec- ifying a 430-passenger/52-car pay- load with a full load operational speed of 33 knots.

In spite of these initial difficul- ties, Leroux & Lotz persevered with its research and development program. Model testing of the 11000 and experience gained with the first 6000 have led to a more cost-effective Corsaire 7000 design.

Differing from the earlier version by the addition of 20 ft. (6 m) in length and a raised wheelhouse, the vessel will reportedly be able to transport 450 passengers and 50 cars at a service speed of 32 knots.

The 7000 features a similar, unusual, propulsion configuration, compared with the original 6000, comprising four Paxman-type 12VP185 diesels driving three waterjets.

Established in 1987,

AMFELS is a combination of the proven and the new.

An independent subsidiary of the world's foremost builder of mobile and floating offshore exploration and production units, Far East Levingston

Shipbuilding Limited (FELS), AMFELS has the design and construction capabilities to take on the most sophisticated marine offshore, shipbuilding, and ship repair projects.

MAWH

The Leader in

Shipbuilding and

Ship Repair

Located in the Port of Brownsville, the shipyard covers more than 150 acres. It has modern covered fabrication and deep water access to its facilities, a 48,000-ton dry-dock, a 700-ton and two 150-ton floating cranes and several heavy lift cranes of up to 300 tons capacity.

AMFELS operates an ASME and

API certified facility for building process packages for onshore and offshore production applications.

KMAI/AMFELS Houston Office:

Texas Commerce Bank Building 5177 Richmond Avenue, Suite 1065

Houston, Texas 77056, USA

Phone: 713/840-8811

Fax: 713/840-1198

AMFELS

U.S. Representative

Keppel Marine Agencies Inc.

Head Office:

Port of Brownsville

Highway 48

Brownsville, Texas 78523, USA

Phone: 210/831-8220

Fax: 210/831-6220

Circle 209 on Reader Service Card • 3H1VA S13JWV • RELIABLE SERVICE • QUALITY WORK • COST COMPETITIVENESS • • SS3N3Allll3dl/V03 1SOD • XdOAA AlllVflO • 3DIAU3S 318VI13M • • AMFELS VALUE AMFELS VALUE • 301VA S13JWV •

Leroux & Lotz's entrance into the growing fast ferry market has not been all smooth sailing, but its

Corsaire class of monohulls is reported to provide a smooth ride via a unique stabilization system.

TTTHni

June, 1996 25