Ceremony Celebrates Completion Of First Vehicle-Passenger Ferry For Turkey
Following the launch in December of Osman Gazi-1, the first of two Auto Express 88 fast car ferries for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, an Inaugural Voyage for Representatives of the Operating Cities of Turkey was held on Monday 12th March 2007. This was to commemorate the successful completion of sea trials prior to the ferry traveling to Istanbul to commence operations. Designated to operate on a 39 nautical mile reciprocal service across the Marmara Sea between Yenikapi (Istanbul) and a new port development in Mudanya servicing the city of Bursa, Osman Gazi-1 is scheduled to enter service in April 2007, the same month the second ferry will be launched.
Austal teams with GL
Australian fast-vessel builder Austal Ships Pty Ltd. partnership with the classification society Germanischer Lloyd. The agreement was extended for the fourth time in the last eleven years. Germanischer Lloyd will continue to provide classificatory handling, technical advisory services and accompanying analyses of strength, dynamics and hydrodynamics for various projects of the Austal yard. of GL Australia/New-Zealand and Dr.Krueger from GL-Head Office. The agreement provides for a project-orientated plan approval service, onsite plan approval when necessary, and for the presence of experienced high speed craft surveyors on site. Mr.
Austal to Build Ferries for Istanbul
Austal announced that a contract for two high speed vehicle-passenger catamarans has been signed with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. This follows the submission of a fully compliant proposal with the lowest price offer in an international tender that began earlier this year. To be operated by Istanbul Deniz Otobusleri (IDO) the identical new ferries are scheduled for delivery in 2007 and have a capacity to carry 1,200 passengers and 225 cars or 126 lane metres of trucks plus 158 cars. The origins of Turkey’s large fast ferry fleet can be traced to 1987 when the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality founded IDO to develop sea transportation solutions and thus help ease growing traffic congestion.
Austal Ferries Offers Emergency Services
Joining organizations around the world in aiding victims of the tragic earthquake in Turkey, Austal's two 282 ft. (86 m) and two 197 ft. (60 m) vessels, constructed for Istanbul Deniz Otobusleri (IDO), have been utilized to take relief workers and rescue vehicles from Istanbul to Yalova - as well as ferrying ambulances and injured persons back to Istanbul. Operating 24-hours a day, the vessels were an instrumental piece in the relief efforts for this tragedy.
