Austal Participates in Posidonia

Austal is using its participation in the Posidonia exhibition in Piraeus this week to highlight its status as the leading supplier of modern fast ferries to the Greek market. This includes the first ever display of a model of the latest vehicle-passenger catamaran ordered by Hellas Flying Dolphins (HFD). Austal has recognised the potential for its efficient, custom-designed fast ferries within the Greek domestic trade for many years, a fact reflected in its long standing support of the Posidonia exhibition. This dedication to meeting the needs of the nation’s ferry operators has been rewarded with contracts for five aluminium catamarans in the last seven years – a sales record that places it well ahead of any other fast ferry builder. The most recent of these contracts, announced in April this year, is for an 85 metre vehicle-passenger catamaran for HFD. Construction of this vessel, a model of which is on display at Austal’s exhibition stand (number 907), has just commenced at the company’s shipyard in Western Australia. Due for delivery for next year’s summer season, “Highspeed 5” will have capacity for 154 cars (or four coaches and 131 cars) and 810 people in VIP, Business and Tourist class passenger areas, each with its own bar and facilities. Features specially incorporated for operation within the islands include separate passenger and vehicle loading ramps aft to facilitate the stern-to mooring style commonly used in Greece. The bi-fold vehicle ramp enables loading and unloading onto a low landing stage and the ferry will be equipped with high speed anchor and mooring winches. The ferry’s propulsion system will consist of four Caterpillar diesel engines and Kamewa waterjets to provide loaded speeds close to 40 knots. Four other Austal catamarans are already operating successfully in HFD’s extensive fleet. This includes the 72 metre sister ships “Highspeed 2” and “Highspeed 3” delivered in May and July 2000 and the 92 metre “Highspeed 4” which also arrived in Greek waters in the same year. Each of the 72 metre catamarans can carry 620 passengers and 70 cars at 40 knots, while the 92 metre flagship has capacity for 1050 passengers and 188 cars, including provision for up to 4 coaches. Rounding out Austal’s contribution to the HFD fleet is the 48 metre passenger-only catamaran “Flyingcat 2”. Originally named “Flying Dolphins 2000” when delivered in mid 1998, this was the first Austal ferry sold into the Greek market. It carries 516 passengers and is capable of service speeds 42 knots. Investing in these modern, fast, high quality vessels has helped cement HFD’s position as the leading operator in Greece’s domestic ferry market in which the company carries approximately 7 million passengers, 200,000 trucks and 800,000 cars every year. Combined with other current projects, notably the construction of a ground-breaking 126 metre, 40 knot cargo-vehicle-passenger trimaran ferry – a model of which is also on display at Posidonia – the latest order from HFD also confirms Austal’s status as the leading supplier of fast ferries, not only to Greece but the world.