Page 9: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2004)

News

Austal Launches 417 ft.

Aluminum Ship

Austal has launched what it is claim- ing to be the largest aluminium ship ever built, the 417 ft. (127 m) trimaran ferry

Benchijigua Express. Benchijigua

Express is the outcome of collaboration between Fred. Olsen, S.A. and Austal involving more than three years of R&D to produce a new vessel that is designed to enable operators to begin operations on new routes where sea conditions are too challenging for existing fast ferries.

Power is provided by four 8,200 kW diesel engines driving three waterjets the Auto Express 127 trimaran will be able to maintain Fred. Olsen, S.A.'s pro- jected service speed in excess of 40 knots and carry 1,350 passengers, over 340 cars and a substantial number of trucks. "The sight of this gigantic ship, the largest aluminium vessel to ever be built in the world, illustrates just how far

Austal has come since it delivered its first vessel back in 1988," said John

Rothwell, Austal's Chairman. "At 127 m this huge vessel is 4lA times longer than the first Austal-built live-aboard dive catamaran of just 30 m which was built in approximately six months with just 30 people. Now we employ 1200 people," he said. "Benchijigua Express" is now undergoing final onboard fit-out prior to undergoing sea trials during

November. The vessel will then depart for the Canary Islands on a delivery voyage covering approximately 9,500 nautical miles.

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Design Completed for

Steamship Authority Ferry

A new 1,000-seat double-ended ferry will soon be sailing the waters between

Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard,

Mass., replacing the Islander, which has been making the run for more than half a century. The yet-unnamed ferry, whose contract design was recently completed by Seattle's Elliott Bay Design Group for the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority, is expected to begin service in May 2006. "Our ridership requires a combination of island ambiance, economic operation, and a high standard of environmental friendliness and reliability," said

Captain Ed Jackson, SSA project man- ager. A "quiet room" provides riders a tranquil area for working or relaxing, and a snack bar and dining area offer food service. Two elevators permit access to all passenger decks for mobil- ity-impaired riders. Directions in

Design of St. Louis is designing the inte- rior decor of all passenger spaces. The enclosed vehicle deck offers protection from the steep chop frequently encoun- tered on the seven mile crossing and includes two lift decks, allowing a total automobile capacity of up to 80 vehicles in seven car lanes. With the lift decks raised to the overhead, the 255 ft. by 64 ft. freight deck provides more than 1,200 ft of parking lanes with 16 ft. of clear height. The vessel features EMD main propulsion engines, each develop- ing 3,000 bhp at 900 rpm, and Reintjes

WAK 3445K 3.036:1 reduction gears.

Design operating speed is 16 knots, per- mitting hourly departures from Woods

Hole and Martha's Vineyard.

A contract award is expected in

November.

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Blount to Deliver

MV Isleno

The 155-ft. (47.2 m) cargo/passenger ferry, M/V Isleno, built by Blount Boats for the Puerto Rico Ports Authority was delivered to Puerto Rico last month.

This is the 21st boat Blount has designed and built for the Authority since the 1950's and the 30th OSV type

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