Trade-A-Boat — February 2018

Design firm Incat Crowther
and shipbuilder Richardson
Devine Marine (RDM) have
once again worked together
to add another high-speed
catamaran to the global fleet.
The 31.9m passenger ferry
Isle of la Digueis the latest
vessel for Seychelles operator
Inter Island Express.
While Incat Crowther and

RDM have collaborated

on many similar projects

in the past,Isle of la Digue

does represent a first:

an innovative propeller

tunnel is incorporated

into the design to meet

the operator’s requirement

for a very shallow draft

to enable access to its

confined harbour berth.

Incat Crowther says the

tunnel significantly reduces

propeller draft while also

providing a flat transom that

can integrate with standard

fixed or active interceptor

systems.

The tunnel design was

extensively modelled

using computational fluid

dynamics (CFD) software

Taranaki tug progress

Port Taranaki’s new tug

Kinaki is expected to

arrive in New Zealand

from Turkey soon, having

been launched for final

electrical installations and

fitout towards the end of

last year.

Port Taranaki marine

engineering supervisor

Grant Squire was at the

tug’s launch at Sanmar

Shipyards and said he was

pleased with progress.

“It’s really exciting. She’s

a beautiful vessel and the

build is meeting all our

expectations,” Squire said.

The 25m 60-tonne

bollard pull harbour

tractor tug will be shipped

to NZ on a heavy-lift

vessel. It will replace the

45-year-old Kupe, the

oldest of the port’s three

tugs.

LAST TIMBER

FERRY

LEAVES

MURRAY
The 169-year-old River
Murray ferry service
operated by the SA
Government now has
no timber-hulled vessels
operating on the 12
crossings.
The fi nal timber-hulled
ferry has been replaced
by a steel one as part of
an ongoing fl eet renewal
process that has seen the
fi nal four timber-hulled
ferries – which were between
60 and 80 years old –

replaced.

Local business Bowhill

Engineering manufactured

all four steel hulls for the

$12.8 million project. The

most recent to be completed

took-up service in Tailem

Bend, enabling another

to replace the fi nal timber

vessel. The fi rst two steel

ferries were commissioned

in November 2015 and

July 2016. The fourth and

fi nal is expected to be

commissioned mid year.

within the designer’s offi ce

prior to being used on an

active project.

During sea trials, Isle of

la Digue demonstrated a six

per cent fuel saving over the

standard hull. The vessel

achieved speed of 32kts at

maximum deadweight, and

a “very low” fuel burn at its

operational cruising speed

of 28kts.

Incat Crowther also

paid specifi c attention

to highly-loaded areas

of the vessel’s structure,

with a view to providing a

robust and durable vessel

capable of operating safely

over the longer term on

what it describes as a

very demanding run. The

company used its in-house

fi nite element analysis

(FEA) system to optimise

the structure to the route’s

specifi c sea conditions.

Onboard, 290 passengers

are accommodated in three

classes. Turnaround time

including baggage handling

has been minimised with

four access locations on the

port side.

Locally produced cat

for Seychelles

238 tradeaboat.com.au

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