Passenger Vessel Report

Builder Austal Name Betico Type Catamaran Owner Govt, of New Caledonia The custom designed livery emulating the waves of the ocean gives Betico. a 171 ft. (52 m) high speed passenger catamaran an original, striking appearance.

The vessel has been purchased by the Provincial Government of the Loyalty Islands of New Caledonia and will provide an essential link to the capital Noumea. Austal's well proven roundedbilge and bulbous-bow hull form, the aluminium catamaran features a middle bow which only comes into effect in seas greater than two meters. To enhance passenger comfort, Betico is also fitted with the Austal Ocean Leveller ride control system.

Powered by quadruple MTU 12V engines. Betico comfortably achieved a fully loaded speed of 34.5 knots during sea trials. A unique feature of "Betico" is the storage space located aft of the main deck. This area is suitable for 10 baggage crates, four of which are refrigerated for the storage of perishable goods. Each crate has a weight capacity of 1.5 - 2 tons. The catamaran is also equipped with a custom designed cargo handling system, allowing the vessel to be completely independent of shore facilities and thus, enhancing its suitability as an island commuter service.

The wheelhouse is designed for a four man operation. Main electronics include the MTU MCS-5 monitoring system, 2 x Kelvin Hughes radars (Nucleus 2 5000 Ecdis and Nucleus 2 5000A), Skipper Echo-Sounder, electronic chart navigation, Navtex GMDSS and Leica DGPS Navigator.

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Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 30, Jan 2000

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Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.