Aluminum Boats Australia Delivers First International Vessel

Aluminum Boats Australia’s (ABA) latest vessel has been delivered to her new owners and has successfully completed her delivery voyage from Brisbane to Madang Port, Papua New Guinea. The vessel left the yard on December 3, arriving at Alotau, PNG just three days later. She then proceeded to Madang Port where she arrived on December 8.

The Carrie is a crew transfer catamaran for the PNG mine operations of the China Metallurgical Group Corporation-sponsored Ramu NiCo. With capacity for 52 passengers plus 2 crew the 62.3-ft craft operates at a service speed of 22 knots with a full load deadweight of 6.95 tonnes.

ABA Marketing & International Sales Manager, Justin Merrigan, commented, “The Carrie marks an important order from China, being ABAʼs first foray into Asia with a highly professional customer with whom we have great hopes for a long and fruitful working relationship.”

The vessel is designed as a catamaran platform for ferry operations on limited coastal waters within 30 nautical miles of a safe haven. Her hull form has been designed by Sydney-based One2three Naval Architects to provide Ramu NiCo with excellent efficiency in order to minimize fuel consumption and through life costs as much as possible.

Passengers board the vessel on the port and starboard sides aft and enter into a spacious and airy open-plan lounge. Large windows provide generous views for the passengers and ample natural light. The main cabin seating for 52 passengers consists of aluminum bench seats in rows of two and four. A Kiosk bar is also provided with a single door fridge aft of the main bulkhead, a single bowl sink and a fresh water faucet. Two toilets onboard are accessed from the aft external deck.

The half height raised wheelhouse is accessed through the forward end of the passenger cabin and provides for excellent visibility. External wheelhouse doors port and starboard lead to wing stations for berthing. Two helm chairs are fitted, one centrally located at the main operation console, and one located on the port side.

Technical
The wheelhouse console contains all necessary engine and systems management gauges and controls, with a chart table on the starboard side. The instrument panel is well positioned so that each component is readily visible to the helmsman. This has been designed with an overhang to shade instruments and gauges in order to improve readability of screens. A small three-seat lounge has also been provided to the aft port side of the wheelhouse as has a small galley on the starboard aft side this containing a sink and cupboard with bench top.

The Carrie is powered by two Caterpillar C18 ACERT diesel engines, each being rated 600hp (447 kW) @ 1800rpm. Gearboxes are ZF Marine transmissions & ZF Smart Command SC Ratio 2.480:1. Two fixed pitch, Veem five bladed propellers are fitted, counter-rotating and outboard turning at the top.

Each hull incorporates a stand-alone cylindrical aluminium fuel tank of 1000 litres capacity. The bunker station is located on the forward side decks, with fill pipes fitted with a lockable cam connection. Independent polyethylene tanks are provided for fresh water and sullage. Watertight bulkheads are located in the hulls to meet the subdivision and damage stability rules.

The Carrie is now operating between Madang Port and Port Basamuk, a distance of 30 nautical miles.

Principal Particulars:
Built    Aluminum Boats Australia, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Design    One2three Naval Architects
Length, o.a.    64.1 ft
Length, w.l.    57.3 ft
Beam, moulded    20.3 ft
Draught (loaded)    5.2 ft
Main engines    2 x CAT C18 diesel engines
Transmission    2 x ZF
Propellers    2 x fixed pitch 5-bladed propellers
Speed    22 knots service
Passengers & crew    54
Survey    Uniform Shipping Laws (USL) 1C