Page 107: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 1997)

AUSTRALIAN MARITIME UPDATE

Incat: Leading The Way Fer 20 Years

Recent Successes Include Launch Of Tasmanian Devil, A New Wave Piercing Catamaran

In September, Incat Australia celebrated its 20th anniversary of building fast ferries. The festivities coincided with the launch of Hull 046's Tasmanian Devil, the first 298.5-ft. (91 m) wave piercing catamaran. This vessel is report- edly Australia's biggest fast ferry to date and was launched by Eva Clifford, mother of Incat

Chairman Robert Clifford. Painted black with a Tasmanian Devil livery, the vessel is a diesel-powered ferry which can carry 900 pas- sengers and 240 cars at fully loaded speeds of 43 knots, or lightship at 49 knots. It is built to the requirements of the Det Norske Veritas

High Speed Light Craft Rules and, where appropriate, to comply with the IMO High

Speed Craft Code.

Incat is a private company operating primari- ly in the ferry and tour boat industry. It pro- duces two types of vessels — the Wave Piercing and K Class catamarans. Both types of vessels are tailored to suit customer and route require- ments. Incat is currently building its fifth gen- eration Wave Piercer and its second generation

K Class catamaran. A third type, suitable to carry fast freight, is under development.

Worldwide, the company reports having built approximately 40 percent of the high-speed car passenger ferry fleet currently in operation.

Incat recently announced the formation of a joint venture company, registered in Hong

Kong. Incat AFAI (HK) Limited has been estab- lished to market and contract the successful

K50 catamaran which will be built at AFAI's new shipyard in Panyu, China. The first K50 from the yard will be delivered during 1998.

Entering service in mid-1997 was Sicilia Jet, the high-speed, 282.1-ft. (86 m) wave piercer car ferry, which was purchased by Jetmarine

Line Sri and is being operated by Aliscafi SNAV

Spa between Naples and Palermo, Sicily. The available deadweight of this class has been increased to 370 tons and the aft sky deck was extended to allow passengers to take advantage of the more temperate Mediterranean operat- ing environment.

The overall capacity of the ferry has been increased to 900 passengers and 200 cars.

Sicilia Jet can achieve fully loaded service speeds of 43 knots, and it will reduce crossing time between Naples and Palermo from 11 hours to approximately four.

Circle 321 on Reader Service Card 117

What does American No. l, the

King of Norway and Scripps

Institute have in common? your area.

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Circle 314 on Reader Service Card

October, 1997

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