Trade-A-Boat – June 2019

178 | TRADEABOAT.COM.AU

The latest large ferry delivered by Australia’s
shipbuilding industry is now plying its trade
between Malta and Italy.
The 110.6m long Saint John Paul II entered
service following a 9,600 nautical mile, 20-day
journey from Hobart – where it was built by
Incat Tasmania – to Malta calling in to refuel at
Fremantle, Colombo, and Jeddah enroute.
It is the fifth new build, and eleventh high
speed vessel, delivered to Malta-based Virtu
Ferries since the company commenced high speed
ferry service between Malta and Sicily in 1988.
Virtu currently also operate high speed vessels on
international routes between Venice and Adriatic
Ports in Slovenia and Croatia as well as Tarifa,
Spain to Tangier in Morocco.
Built as Incat Hull 089, the ship is the 44th
large commercial fast ferry delivered by Incat and
the sixth in excess of 5,500 gross tonnes in the
past decade; a decade also shared with 19 other
Incat newbuilds of smaller passenger ferries and
support vessels.
Despite both companies being so active in the
fast ferry sector, the project is the first time they
have contracted a newbuild together.
“The 110m wave piercing catamaran, one
of the largest, and most revolutionary built by

the yard is the first Incat newbuild vessel to

join the Virtu fleet,” commented Incat

Chairman, Robert Clifford.

“Virtu Ferries was seeking increased reliability,

seakeeping, passenger comfort, capacity and

economy with less operational downtime than

vessels in its current fleet. They knew exactly what

they wanted and, with the benefit of extensive

tank testing and studies, we believe we have

turned that vision into reality with Saint John

Paul II,” he added.

Incat CEO Tim Burnell said the company was

still evolving its product despite being an industry

leader for 40 years.

“Using the latest computational fluid dynamics

(CFD) and hydrodynamic free-running model

test techniques, the well proven Incat wave

piercing catamaran hullform has been further

developed for Mediterranean winter conditions.

The hydrodynamic tests were undertaken by

Seaspeed Marine Consulting at the Ocean

Basin and Ship Tank in Gosport, UK – facilities

normally associated with UK Ministry of

Defence projects.

“The result is a completely new bow

arrangement and increased tunnel height,

ensuring Saint John Paul II is truly fit for

purpose on year-round ferry operations on

what is an exposed Mediterranean island route,”

Burnell explained.

With a deadweight of 1000 tonnes, 900

passengers spread across five lounges, and a

vehicle deck that takes 167 cars or 23 trailers, the

aluminium catamaran is the largest high-speed

vehicle-passenger catamaran built for operation

in the Mediterranean and the second largest in

the world. Compared the previous vessel those

capacities represent 43 per cent more trucks,

15 per cent more passengers and seven per cent

more cars.

Saint John Paul II is powered by four MTU

20V MTU 8000 M71L engines generating a

total of 36.4MW. These drive Wärtsilä LJX

1500SR waterjets via ZF gearboxes to give

operating speeds of around 38kt, which was

achieved with 600 tonnes of deadweight at 85 per

cent MCR during trials.

Other notable items of equipment include

a Naiad active ride control system combining

active trim tabs aft and two hull mounted

T-foils; four MTU 8V 2000 generators; and

four Liferaft Systems Australia (LSA) Marine

Evacuation Stations (MES) with eleven 100

person liferafts.

PAPAL CAT LINKS MALTA AND ITALY

Local build for NSW research vessel

New South Wales’ Department of Primary Industries

has placed an order for a new offshore fisheries

research vessel.

Seatamer Marine secured the contract, worth nearly

$220,000 following a competitive tender process that

also attracted bids from NSW compatriot Ocean Craft,

Phoenix Boats (Qld), and Nautic Star (SA).

The vessel will be certified to NSCV 2C requirements,

and supplied with a trailer. It is understood it will

replace an ageing vessel at the Mosman Fisheries

Research Centre, with applications to include offshore

sampling or monitoring.

Construction time is estimated to be 26 weeks from

contract award, with delivery expected to take place

towards the end of August.

Seatamer Marine has been present in the Newcastle

region since 1994 and has experience building

customised monohulls, catamarans, landing barges and

purpose-built plate vessels from 5m upwards. It has

built a number of boats for Government agencies in the

past, including a 7m hydrographic catamaran delivered

to Roads and Maritime Services last year.