An Enduring Partnership To Deliver Its Tenth Vessel

Incat Crowther is pleased to announce the design of a 45m catamaran passenger ferry for Azam Marine of Tanzania, Africa. This vessel is the tenth vessel designed by Incat Crowther for the operator, and will be the seventh vessel built for the operator by Richardson Devine Marine.

The 500-passenger, 35 knot vessel features the operator’s trademark parallel boarding system, whereby five ramps per side load passenger and cargo in segregated flows. VIP and Royal Class passengers board directly into a discreet stair tower to the upper deck cabin, whilst economy passengers load separately aft and midships. The fifth ramp is dedicated to luggage trolley movements. The boarding system ensures passenger classes and luggage trolleys don’t mix, reducing turnaround time and improving safety, whilst promoting exclusivity for the higher yield passengers.

The vessel will seat 247 passengers in its main deck economy cabin, 72 VIP passengers and 24 Royal Class passengers on the mid deck, with the remainder being economy passengers in separate areas over three decks. A major enhancement from earlier vessels is the relocation of the wheelhouse to the third deck. This results in panoramic windows forward on the mid deck, creating a class-leading experience for occupants of this high- revenue space.

Although the first fast passenger vessel to use a pair of Cummins QSK95-M main engines, Incat Crowther is already familiar with this model, having utilised them in several recent offshore vessels now in service. In this specific project, the large twin engine solution is an effective way of providing more speed whilst avoiding the through-life cost and complexity of a four-engine power train. Engine room accessibility is improved over a four- engine arrangement, and maintenance and operational requirements are less. Additional dividends are realized in the routing and a reduction in the duplicity of systems.

This latest design further demonstrates the deep operational understanding Incat Crowther shares with its clients. Part of Azam Marine’s enormous success has been based on the vessels being efficient, reliable and simple to maintain, a crucial trait in the region.