Noumea operator orders second ferry with Austal

The new vessel will be one of only a small number of monohull ferries that are fully compliant with the International Maritime Organisation High Speed Craft (HSC) Code 2000. This is a significant step for Mary D Enterprises in modernising its fleet and in maintaining compliance with French regulations that now require adoption of the full HSC Code on all high speed vessels flying the French Flag.

The ferry will be powered by three MTU 12V2000 engines coupled to Hamilton waterjets giving a speed of 34 knots. It will be built at Austal’s Western Australian facility and is scheduled for delivery in November 2011.

The ferry is principally intended for operation between Noumea and Amadee Island, but will also service other locations on New Caledonia’s south and west coasts. The new vessel will be joining the Austal-built “Mary D Dolphin”, which has transported more than 300,000 passengers on the Amadee Island route since its delivery in 1998, and will carry 138 passengers on two decks.

Vessel Specifications

Principal Particulars

Length overall: 35.20 metres

Length waterline: 30.70 metres

Beam (moulded): 7.00 metres

Depth (moulded): 2.70 metres

Hull draft (approx): 1.30 metres

Capacity

Passengers: 138

Crew: 12

Propulsion

Main engines: 3 x MTU 12V2000M72 (IMO Tier 2 compliant)

Propulsion: 3 x Hamilton HM 521

Performance

Speed: 34 knots

Classification

Lloyds Register +100A1 SSC Passenger(A), Mono HSC, LDC, G3, LMC