Incat Crowther Launches Ferries for Sydney
Incat Crowther announced the launch of Mary Reibey and Annabelle Rankin, the second and third in a series of 24m catamaran passenger ferries for Captain Cook Cruises. Built by Richardson Devine Marine, the vessels follow on from Elizabeth Cook, launched late last year.
Elizabeth Cook currently operates in the Sydney Ferry Network, including the shallow water zones on the Parramatta River and across Sydney Heads to Manly. The team at Captain Cook Cruises and Incat Crowther are pleased to demonstrate a single class of vessel that is successfully operating throughout the Sydney Harbour network.
During the development of this new class of vessel, efforts were made to reduce through-life operating costs, with a focus on low fuel usage and reducing ongoing maintenance costs.
Mary Reibey and Annabelle Rankin feature passenger capacities of 198 with an optimized blend of interior and exterior spaces. The operational design focus on safety, specifically pilothouse visibility, has further improved the new vessel.
Large hinged engine hatches provide ample access to the engine rooms for day-to-day maintenance tasks.
The vessels are certified to carry 127 passengers in 1C coastal operation and 198 passengers in 1D/1E harbour operation.
They are powered by a pair of Scania DI13 070M main engines. The vessel cruises efficiently at 25 knots, with a top speed of 27 knots.
Incat Crowther continues to improve this new-generation of vessel, which has evolved into one of cutting edge design, low fuel consumption and robustness.