Hurst Point

Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) has developed a future generation of RoRo ferries incorporating a capacity for 6,000 lane-m of freight.

FSG delivered the 722-ft. (220-m) Hurst Point, the first of four 23,300-gt RoRo sisters contracted by British consortium AWSR for strategic sealift duties under a transport service agreement with the U.K. Ministry of Defense. The 2,600 lane-m heavily-reinforced design incorporates three decks, with the addition of a 36-ton crane on the weatherdeck, and further demonstrates the German yard's propensity for meeting bespoke RoRo requirements within the bounds of efficient production practices. The vessel series, which has already attracted the interest of operators looking to achieve further scale economies on high-volume routes, combines an unprecedented arrangement of five trailer decks and flexible freight distribution with a rapid service speed of 23-knots. The design thereby promises high productivity as well as a major advance in unit capacity. Close attention to hull form, hydrodynamic performance and propulsive plant configuration has resulted in an attractive speed and power relationship, bearing on freight ton-mile efficiency and also capital outlay. The favored layout keeps faith with the diesel-mechanical concept, comprising four medium-speed engines driving twin controllable pitch propellers through reduction gearing. The engine written into the provisional specification is a seven-cylinder version of the MaK M43 series from Caterpillar Motoren, for a total plant output of 25,200-kW. The 6,052 lane-m design from Flensburg could be the next trendsetter. The as yet unique provision of five decks suited to trailer-borne freight comprises four enclosed decks plus the weather deck, served by an inter-deck ramp system configured to allow simultaneous working of four different cargo areas. RoRo access is concentrated over twin stern ramps.