Page 92: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 1997)

EUROPEAN UPDATE tunnels between the hulls. Light- weight hatches within the CMVs can then be removed to reveal moonpools, allowing work to take place on the cables.

Hydraulically controlled arms with horizontal axis rollers are used to raise cable above water level in the center of the mfonpool for inspection or handling. \Two specially developed clamps, OT^e connected to a rope and winch, theV other attached to the forward end of the moonpools, allow a new 250- ft. (75-m) section of cable to be inserted from a hydraulically oper- ated drum on the forward deck, while both separated ends of the deployed streamer reliably secure vessels. Defective sections can then be winched onto the empty drums. Throughout the entire operation, CMVs form a mechani- cal link in the streamer "chain".

The new vessels are powered by a pair of Mermaid Turbo-Four II tur- bocharged and intercooled marine, diesels which use the Ford^ft?w

Holland four cylindej^tJenesis" engine, popularij^fefactor applica- tions worldwrtf^and marinized by

U.K. specialist Mermaid to develop 200 hp. These drive Vosper

Thornycroft PP115 waterjets through flexible couplings to give fully-laden top speeds of approxi- mately 24 knots and efficient free- running service speeds of 15 knots.

More important, however, the larg- er than usual jets give a bollard pull of around 1.3 tons —sufficient to tow a seismic cable approxi- mately 6 km long in most sea con- ditions. Twin jets also give a high degree of maneuverability, includ- the capacity, in experienced halS^s, to move craft sideways over deployed streamers. The hydraulic systems which operate the cable lifting arms/fcjrward seismic cable drums and rope wmch are belt-dri^ ven from the main engines orv^ne port side.

To counter the effecJ^Ct a^h^avy machinery payloa^7 weight been saved in tiae hull construction of these ve^ls with the use of an advance® composite incorporating

KejftfJr, S Glass and epoxy resins.

L single skin with foam cored stiff- eners forms the lower part of each hull and the deck consists of a foam core sandwich construction.

The "all-round" fender comprises five sections of polyurethane skinned polyethylene foam.

Another Ausl fast ferry foi lian urope

Following the launch descrij in the Australian Maritin^^ocus feature in the October^J^96 issue oiMR/EN, Felix, Apdfal Ships'lat- est 270-ft. (82/rfVAuto Express ferry, has cmiffrleted its 11,500-nm delivervy<5yage to Sweden and has begu,jar service on the short lamn-Dragor route for joint

Swedish and Danish owners,

SweFerry and DSO. The vessel has been registered at the Port of

Malmo and is only the second fast ferry worldwide to fly the Swedish

Jag.

Jhough the eight-mile crossing coulakecomfortably completed by the 40-kmHnvessel in well under 15 minutes, 22 orossings of 25 min. duration per daj^Have been sched- uled. The predictec^urnaround time of 20 minutes is bScg easily achieved due to the drive-tl^Mugl: garage and efficient mezzanine deck layout.

Restricted port access, especially at Dragor, and frequently strong wind conditions, prompted the operators to opt for the installation of bowthrusters. Installed in each hull and fully integrated with the

KaMeWa waterjets, the bowthrusters maximize maneu- verability for effective docking in all but the very worst weather con- ditions.

Differing from the previous

Austal Auto Express deliveries of

Delphin to TT-Line and Cat-Link

III to DSB Rederi earlier this year,

Felix does not feature the compa- ny's "'Ocean Leveller" ride control system. The vessel's semi-swath hull form was considered to pro- vide sufficient passenger comfort without ride control on such a short crossing. However, provi- sions have been made to incorpo- rate the ride control system at a later date should the vessel be 7 Reasons Why The Affordable /VM Azimuth®

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