US NAVY'S - Incat

FUEL ECONOMY 

& HIGH SPEED CRAFT 

www.incat.com.au 

Vol.7 ISSUE 36 2008 

the MAGAZINE 

US NAVY’S 

MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND 

Charter 061

ISSUE 36/OCT2008 

EDITOR: 

Kim Clifford - incattm@incat.com.au 

EDITORIAL: 

Justin Merrigan, Mike Jackson 

ADVERTISING: 

Kim Clifford, Karyn Anderson 

DESIGN: 

Bettina Bomford - Senior Designer 

Abbey Doggett - Graphic Artist 

VESSEL MODELS: 

Gordon Stewart 

CONTACT: 

AUSTRALIA 

Incat the Magazine 

18 Bender Drive 

Hobart, Tasmania 7009, Australia 

Tel: +61 3 6271 1333 

Fax: +61 3 6273 0932 

Email: incattm@incat.com.au 

EUROPE 

Incat Europe ApS 

Dr. Tvaergade 30,3 

DK1302 Copenhagen K, Denmark 

Tel: +45 3314 5075 

Fax: +45 3314 5079 

Email: incattm@incat.com.au 

AMERICA 

Bollinger / Incat USA 

P O Box 250 

8365 Highway 308 South 

Lockport LA 70374 USA 

Tel: +1 985 532 2554 

Fax: +1 985 532 7225 

PRINTER: Print Applied Technology Pty Ltd 

ITM 

INCAT the MAGAZINE 

Editor’s Page 5 

Clifford’s Column 6 - 7 

World News 9 

The Right Berth for the Job 10 - 11 

A Smoother, Cleaner Bottom 12 - 13 

Building Aluminium High 

Performance Ships for the World 14 - 15 

Coregas & WTIA Tradesperson 

of the Year award 16 

Is Slowing Down always the Answer 17 

New Engine Targets Power, 

Economy and Ecology 18 - 20 

Fuel Economy at SpeedFerries 22 - 23 

Economy with a Capital E 25 

The Vital Role of Ports 26 - 27 

Fuel Consumption in Context 28 - 31 

Where Are They Now - Hull 051 32 

Ships In Service 34 

INSIDEITM 

A Smoother, Cleaner Bottom Fuel Consumption in Context New Engine Benefits 

BALEARIC ISLANDS 

Incat the Magazine, first published in 1999, is produced by Incat 

Australia Pty Ltd. Incat high speed catamarans, the world’s fastest 

vehicle and passenger ferries are constructed at Prince of Wales 

Bay, Hobart and are crewed and maintained in service by over 5000 

personnel around the world. 

Incat THE Magazine Issue 36 3

4 Incat THE Magazine Issue 36

EDITOR’S LETTER 

Kim Clifford 

Think a litre of 

petrol is expensive 

Let’s put it into perspective. These examples do NOT imply petrol 

is cheap; it simply illustrates how outrageous some prices are. 

Can of Energy Drink, 250ml, $2.95 

Robitussin Cough Mixture, 200ml, $9.95 

L’Oreal Revitalift Day Cream, 50ml, $29.95 

Bundy Rum, 1250ml, $51.00 

Visene Eye Drops, 15ml, $5.69 

- $11.80 per litre! 


- $599.00 per litre! 


- $379.00 per litre! 

Britney Spears Fantasy Perfume,50ml, $29.00 - $580.00 per litre! 

And this is the REAL KICKER... 

Evian water, 375ml, $2.95 


$7.86 for a litre of WATER!! and the buyers don’t even know 

the source (Evian spelled backwards is NAIVE!!) 

Ever wonder why computer printers are so cheap 

So they can hook you for the ink!! Someone calculated the 

cost of the ink, you won’t believe it but it’s true; 

“$1040.00 A LITRE!!!” 

So, the next time you’re at the pump, be glad 

your car doesn’t run on water, Red Bull, Robitussin, 

L’Oreal or, God forbid, Printer Ink!!!!! 


Robert CLIFFORD 

Incat Chairman 

C LIFFORD’S 

O 

SPEED v PAYLOAD v FUEL 

L 

U 

M 

N 

It has come to pass that shipping 

speeds have slowed down in response 

to increased fuel cost. 

28 knot container ships in many cases 

are now scheduled to sail at only 22 

knots. Even slower speeds are likely as 

this trend continues. 

But, how slow is too slow 

There comes a point where more ships 

are required to serve the required 

schedule. More ships burn more fuel 

and increase capital costs. 

Nevertheless, continuous changes to 

the status quo are expected and will 

have wide ranging consequences. 

Fast ships can often burn more fuel 

than slower ships, but this is not always 

so. The real test is the weight of the 

ship that must be propelled through 

the water at a given speed. That 

is, a ship that is built of lightweight 

materials may displace less than half 

the water of a conventional steel ship. 

The lighter displacement allows the 

operator to either sail faster or install 

less power. We assume both styles of 

ship deliver the same payload per 24 

hour day. 

If the lightweight ship is not required to sail 

faster the option of installing less power is 

attractive. Smaller engines burn less fuel 

and save even further weight that can 

further increase the payload. 

Consider also the heavy steel ship slowing 

down to make less revenue sailings per day, 

perhaps five sailings instead of six on a short 

sea route. The lightweight ship also has the 

option of sailing more slowly, perhaps ten 

sailings per day may be reduced to eight 

sailings; still three more sailings than the 

heavy steel ship can manage. There are 

endless permutations possible to save fuel 

and the fast versus slow, and the heavy 

versus light arguments must be analysed 

and considered carefully in each specific 

service situation. 

There is no simple answer, for example to 

slow down too much will result in either 

more ships being required to provide a 

satisfactory service, or cause the demand 

to be unsatisfied. 

Just making the ship lighter may be 

enough to achieve a higher speed 

without any increase in power. This on 

some routes will allow more revenue 

sailings per 24 hour day. 


Why Aluminium 

Why do we build our ships in Aluminium 

Why are 747s built of Aluminium 

Why are dinghies built of Aluminium 

The same answers apply to all - Imagine the power required 

to fly a jumbo made of steel, or rowing a steel dinghy! 

In all the above examples weight is the most important 

consideration. To the high speed ship low weight makes 

possible low fuel consumption and high speed. 

A conventional steel ship needing to service a 5000 

pax per day market on a 70 mile journey will be able 

to make four crossings; 2 return trips, per day. The steel 

ship will displace about 10,000 tonnes of water - that is 

moving 10,000 tonnes of water aside as it progresses its 

journey. 

An aluminium ship can deliver the same 5000 pax per 

day to their destination faster on the same 70 mile 

journey and offer a greater choice of departure times 

with six crossings even though it could carry even more 

passengers by making eight crossings in the 24 hours 

available. The more frequent sailings also lessening 

queuing and road congestion by spreading traffic load 

across three or four arrival times rather than just two. 

On shorter routes the advantages of the lightweight 

are even more pronounced and that is why operators 

in the Canary Islands, Straits of Gibraltar and many 

other routes are rapidly moving away 

from pushing heavy steel. Pushing heavy 

steel through the water takes a lot of energy 

and fuel. 

Just as the airlines are trimming weight from 

their aircraft so too are ship owners advised 

to leave ashore all that is not needed. Not 

only spare parts, stores, water, fuel, oil, etc 

being trimmed to just enough to complete 

the journey in safety, even crew facilities are 

best provided on the dock. They should take 

their breaks during turnarounds rather than 

disappear to cabins through the journey. 

On the question of crew, fast ships leave 

the off-watch ashore so that only the 

working crew are carried. This means that 

accommodation for crew is not required on 

the ship, just the minimum crew facilities, like 

on an aircraft. 

Catering is therefore much less in demand 

as only the passengers and working crew 

have to be fed. The shorter the journey, the 

less the catering demand. 

All these points lower the weight of the ship 

still further, and lower the kilowatts required 

to drive the ship at the required speed. 

Fast turnarounds and good shore facilities 

are required to save fuel. Every minute 

saved in berthing and turning around the 

ship is a minute available at lower power 

on the crossing. On the other hand slow 

turnarounds have to be made up by higher 

passage speeds at greater fuel burn. 


Fast Ferry Benefits 

Slow + Extra = Loss 

In the deep sea sector, reductions in vessel 

speeds to cope with increases in oil prices 

have become a way of life. A wise move, 

or is it 

In many cases speed has been reduced 

so much that in order to hold schedules in 

prime markets, carriers have added tonnage 

to their services. Any saving in fuel dollars is 

rapidly consumed by the additional costs of 

introducing extra ships to compensate for 

their slow running fleetmates. 


WORLD NEWS 

www.incat.com.au 

SOUTHERN REFIT 

FOR HSV 2 SWIFT 

Incat 050 in drydock at Portsmouth 

© Gary Davies Martime Photographic 

BURGESS MARINE TO 

SUPPORT NINE INCAT 

VESSELS DURING THE 

COMING REFIT SEASON 

Britain’s Burgess Marine has secured work on no fewer than nine 

Incat vessels during the coming refit season. 

The business will be directly managing six major refits in UK, one 

in France, and supporting a further two overseas work programs; 

one in the United States the other in the Middle East. 

Burgess Marine Director Nicholas Warren comments: “It’s been a 

very exciting 12 months for the team. I’m delighted to add the 

major overhaul of Incat 050, on behalf of the Isle of Man Steam 

Packet Co, to our portfolio of work, and I’m especially pleased to 

welcome back Brittany Ferries. 

The Condor Ferries fleet (hull’s 030, 042 and 044), SpeedFerries (hull 

045), and Steam Packet’s (hull 050) will be refitted with the full 

support of BVT in Portsmouth. HD Ferries (hull NF08) will be refitted 

alongside in Newhaven and docked down at a later date. Whilst 

Brittany Ferries Normandie Express (hull 057) will dock-down on the 

Syncrolift in Cherbourg. 

Simultaneously Burgess Marine is supporting Bay Ferries and 

The Maritime Co. for Navigation during their respective work 

programs in the States and Saudi. 

Sealift Inc’s civilian crew for HSV 2 Swift complete HSC 

training at Morgan City. 

Despite the frustrations of Hurricane Gustav, 

HSV 2 Swift has completed a major refit at the 

Bollinger repair yard in Morgan City, Louisiana, 

prior to returning to service with the US Navy. 

Sealift Inc. of New York was recently awarded 

the charter of the vessel for up to 59 months 

by the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command. 

The privately owned, New York-based company 

is chartering the craft from its US Owner, 

Bollinger/Incat. 

Many of the modifications carried out relate 

to a reflag of the vessel to a US commercial 

flag and the first time we have had one of our 

vessels fully flagged by US Coast Guard, said 

Graham Perkins, Technical Manager at Incat. 

Full HSC training for the vessel’s new civilian 

crew was undertaken in Morgan City by Incat’s 

Captain Mike Jackson. 

The vessel left the repair yard in mid October, 

sailing to Norfolk, Virginia, where her military 

detachment readied the craft for its first 

deployment to Central and South America. 

The Swift will be operated worldwide in support 

of US Fleet Forces Command and the war on 

terrorism. The vessel will also be used for emerging 

operational concepts such as seabasing and 

the Global Fleet Station. 


Improvements in berthing arrangements can result in quicker 

docking times and therefore improve the in-port turnaround 

time. This would allow the craft to sail on time (or even early) 

and therefore be in a position to exercise fuel savings during 

the voyage. 

Some improvements to linkspan or stern ramp arrangements to 

increase traffic flow might be possible and these would come at 

a cost. If berths are rented or leased then there may be some 

understandable reluctance for operators to improve someone 

else’s infrastructure unless the owner comes to the party. Like all 

things the costs involved need to be weighed against benefit 

and efficiency savings. 

Some minor improvements in the berth and loading arrangements 

can often be made at minimal cost. More often than not things 

are done the same old way as a matter of habit and procedures 

are seldom reviewed. 

A review of procedures might indicate for example that a 

change in the car park layout or the order of vehicle loading 

might shorten turnaround times. 

• Are all the bollards in the optimum position for the expeditious 

securing of the craft 

• Would the installation of an additional bollard in a more 

advantageous position be warranted 

• Are the bollards conspicuously numbered or painted in order 

to assist in ready recognition by the shore staff 

• Are fixed lines attached to bollards that can be easily passed 

to the craft 

The above are measures generally adopted by a lot of 

operators, however the Incat experience is that not all have 

implemented such measures. 

Automatic docking aids come in various shapes and sizes and 

of course expense. They are worth investigating however and 

their cost compared to any cost saving measures that may 

result. Indeed many ships use such devices and can berth/ 

unberth without the requirement for crew attendance/shore 

staff attendance and berthing lines. 

In the end, like all of the issues in this article, the final decision will 

be a commercially based deliberation. This should not however 

detract from review of procedures and the investigation of 

efficiency saving measures. All avenues should be explored. 

The Right Berth for the Job 

Captain Mike Jackson 


Some minor 

improvements in the 

berth and loading 

arrangements can 

often be made at 

minimal cost. More 

often than not 

things are done the 

same old way as 

a matter of habit 

and procedures are 

seldom reviewed. 

© Andrew Cooke 


A Smoother, Cleaner Bottom! 

Captain Mike Jackson 

The value of having a clean ship’s bottom would 

be known to most people involved in maritime 

operations. A fouled bottom increases hull resistance 

and generally results in a loss of speed. Where this 

happens it will either involve an increase in power 

and therefore fuel consumption or increased passage 

times and the inability to maintain schedules. Or a 

combination of both. 

Recent experience with one Incat vessel where the 

operator reported an unexplained loss of speed 

resulted in much head scratching at Incat Head 

Office and in the end a team was sent to investigate. 

The craft in question was operating for long periods in 

tropical waters including extended periods alongside. 

The craft was experiencing a speed loss of five knots 

and was unable to attain maximum engine RPM. 

When the investigating team boarded the craft the first 

thing they noted was quite a luxuriant growth of weed 

on the underwater surfaces. They also determined that 

there was a problem with the engine control system. 

The engine control system was quickly resolved and 

once corrected allowed for an immediate two knot 

increase in speed. Thus it was estimated that the hull 

growth was slowing the craft by up to three knots. 

At the first opportunity divers performed a complete 

hull clean and the craft’s speed was reinstated. 

This experience demonstrates the need to keep the 

hull clean but perhaps also the need to use anti 

fouling appropriate to the nature of the operations it is 

undertaking. Anti fouling is anti fouling I hear you say, 

but is it 

An examination of different manufacturer’s 

specifications indicates a varied number of different 

anti fouling schemes for different applications and also 

different hull materials. They are all Tributyl Tin (TBT) free 

of course, but they include different properties from 

silicone to self-polishing, conventional and long life. 

Given that craft only have to complete in water 

bottom surveys every two years, then the opportunity 

to renew and/or repair anti fouling coatings also comes 

along once every two years. If the scheme is damaged 

or unable to last this distance for some reason then the 

possibility for hull growth is increased and with it the 

spectre of increased fuel costs. 

What can be done If operators are happy with their 

anti fouling schemes but find the craft is suffering 

hull growth between dockings, then hull cleaning 

by divers may seem to be the appropriate solution 

to the problem. Regular cleaning by divers may 

prove more effective than an expensive change 

of antifouling schemes, but of course that is up to the 

operator. 


A Smoother, Cleaner Bottom! 

When using divers - don’t forget to check 

the waterjets; you never know what you might find! 

Just as a conventional ship operator is interested not 

only in a clean hull, but smooth propellers too, so too 

the fast ship owner needs to look beyond the hull to 

the impellers. Out of sight, out of mind does not apply 

and just because they are housed within the jet ducts 

does not mean they can be overlooked. 

The value of having a 

clean ship’s bottom 

would be known 

to most people 

involved in maritime 

operations. A fouled 

bottom increases 

hull resistance and 

generally results in 

a loss of speed. 

Impellers are particularly vulnerable to marine fouling 

since it is an unpainted surface that must remain 

clean and shiny for proper operation. Just like a 

propeller, an impellor, despite its small surface area, 

can generate energy losses amounting to half that of 

the hull itself, so maintaining a clean surface is critical. 

A routine polish to reduce friction ensures the impeller 

operates at optimum efficiency. Even with routine 

maintenance, surface roughness can occur as a 

result of erosion, corrosion, or from tubeworm tracings. 

This roughness alone can significantly increase fuel 

consumption, but can be prevented simply through 

effective polishing by divers. 

Basically, a clean bottom and shiny impeller will save 

money. 


Building Aluminium 

High Performance 

Ships for the World 

Justin Merrigan 

Think fast - think light, that well known philosophy 

often heard at Incat! Why Because it is fact; 

lightweight aluminium construction, streamlined 

hull shapes and constant attention to research 

and development is what sets Incat’s range of 

Wave Piercing Catamarans apart from the rest. 

Dramatically increased payloads are available 

as the size of vessels have grown and greater 

scales of economy delivered as new techniques 

result in lighter ships, carrying more passengers, 

more often, at greater speeds and all at lower 

fuel consumptions. 

Aluminium has its part to play in this success 

and enjoys pride of place in the high speed 

ferry industry which, like the aerospace sector, 

calls for high performance technologies and 

materials. 

The principal advantages of aluminium 

over steel are: 

• lightweight without sacrificing strength 

• exceptional dent resistance 

and toughness that contribute to 

seaworthiness and safety 

• reduced maintenance and 

overhaul expense due to high 

corrosion resistance 

Structural weight 

Aluminium is one third the weight 

of steel. After application of 

design factors and using design 

loads that provide the same 

strength as steel, the actual 

weight of an aluminium vessel 

will be approximately half that for 

steel. The fuel saving alone can 

STEEL 

ALUMINIUM 

represent an appreciable return on the original cost of 

the boat during its useful life. Alternatively, the operator 

can enjoy increased speed in the aluminium ship without 

using more fuel than would be used by a heavier steel 

design at a lower speed. 

Aluminium is resilient and tough, with excellent dent 

resistance. Aluminium will deflect further than steel when 

battered by slam action of waves etc. The impact energy 

is dissipated more gradually than it is in a less ductile 

material like steel. The ability of aluminium to absorb 

impact loads was verified unintentionally by Incat when 

Condor 11 ran up onto Black Jack Rock near the mouth 

of the Derwent River during speed trials in 1994. The vessel 

decelerated from 35 knots to zero in less than 300 feet 

distance. The damage to the vessel was confined to 

hull plating below the chines as she rode up and over 

the reef. In only a matter of weeks she was rebuilt from 

the chine down and still enjoys a career in commercial 

shipping. 


Fire Resistance 

Aluminium does not burn. There is some loss of strength at 

elevated temperatures, where aluminium ranks second 

only to steel. However, the majority of shipboard fires are 

localised. Because of the high thermal conductivity of 

aluminium, a local, brisk fire can occur adjacent to the 

hull plating without much increase of metal temperature 

and consequent loss of strength. For superstructures, 

which are further away from the cooling effects of the 

water, fire resistance can be increased by selection of fire 

rated materials and floor coverings. 

Corrosion 

Marine grade aluminium alloys are 

highly resistant to corrosion. 

Unlike steel, there is no 

requirement to paint 

the surfaces inside or 

out to protect from 

salt water, apart, of 

course, from underwater 

antifouling. There is no dark oxide 

“bleeding” through pin holes or cracks 

in the paintwork. The 5000 and 6000 series alloys 

have shown negligible pitting and loss of strength after 

seven year- long immersion tests in salt water. Operation 

of the original Incat vessels, now nearing thirty years 

old, are also testament to the corrosion resistance of 

aluminium vessels. 

Welding with Aluminium 

The welding of aluminium structures is not new and has 

been under constant development for over a century. 

Today it is well understood and used by specialised 

shipbuilders and equipment manufacturers around the 

world. Welding procedures have been developed to 

suit very thin materials less than 2 mm thick through to 

materials up to 200mm thick. This is not the limit, and 

we are sure there will be a need to weld even greater 

thicknesses as the size of lightweight ships increase. 

The system of pre-fabricating modules and transporting 

them to a main ship assembly hall is common shipbuilding 

practice but when working with aluminium, particular 

attention is needed to allow for distortion and 

to minimise the residual stresses in the 

final vessel structure. Prefabrication 

also improves worker comfort and 

safety with welders able to work 

upright and at ground level, rather 

than having to work above their heads or 

be suspended from harnesses or platforms 

many metres in the air. 

Incat pre-fabrication staff and research and design 

teams also develop and build jigs which increase 

efficiency enormously. 

After consideration of the design factors mentioned 

above, it becomes easier to understand why aluminium 

high speed vessels are maintaining their position as the 

most fuel efficient and safe vessels to service both the 

commercial and military markets worldwide. 

Postscript: Aluminium and the Falklands Task Force 

Of the 100 ships in the British Naval Task Force, nine were sunk. Of these nine, only three, the frigates HMS 

Antelope, HMS Ardent and the support ship Sir Galahad had aluminium superstructures. All three vessels had 

steel hulls and in each case the damage inflicted suggested these vessels would have sunk regardless of the 

material used in the superstructure. In no case did aluminium burn. HMS Sheffield, the first British destroyer sunk 

and which was widely reported to have an aluminium superstructure was an all steel ship with both a steel 

hull and a steel superstructure. 

“There is no evidence that it (aluminium) has contributed to the loss of any vessel.” 

As quoted in the Falklands Defence White Paper 14/12/82. 


Coregas & WTIA Tradesperson of the Year award 

May 2008 saw Coregas celebrate its 22nd year of supporting 

the joint Welding Technology Institute of Australia & Coregas 

Tradesperson of the Year award.What motivates a company, 

such as Coregas to invest a significant amount of time and money 

into a scheme such as the Tradesperson of the Year Award over 

such a period This motivation is summed up into one sentence 

‘support of young people and their talents’. 

Coregas has maintained this commitment in collaboration with 

the WTIA, allowing many young people to benefit from the 

experience of visiting industrial and research organizations in 

Europe, and next year in both Singapore and Malaysia to study 

welding, cutting and associated metal fabrication techniques. 

The award is open to Australian citizens or residents, under the 

age of 25 at 31 December 2008, who meet the following criteria: 

• Have at least three consecutive years approved 

practical experience in an industry using welding and 

are currently actively involved in the industry; 

• and able to show evidence of having made 

significant progress in their welding-related career. 

The competition involves two selection stages; the first stage is 

a submission of application and support material and selected 

applicants are then asked to submit a 1,000 word written paper. 

Sean Coffey, winner of the Coregas/WTIA Tradesperson 

of the Year 2007 being congratulated by Tim Whiteside, 

General Manager, Coregas. 

The scholarship is intended to educate and 

update the winner on current global trends in 

welding/cutting and associated metal fabrication 

techniques as well as providing exposure to new 

technology at a leading research establishment. 

The award aims to heighten the respect for skills 

in the welding industry and to encourage young 

people to pursue a career in the industry. 

The Coregas/ WTIA Young Tradesperson of 

the Year Award will be presented at the official 

WTIA Awards Dinner to be held Wednesday 

13 May 2009 in Melbourne, Victoria during the 

National Manufacturing Week. 

Application forms are available by calling WTIA on 029748 4443 or email info@wtia.com.au 


© Reprinted with the authorisation of Marin 


New Engine Targets 

Power, Economy and 

Ecology 

INCAT was recently a “launch customer” for the first of 

MAN Diesel’s new high power density engine, the type 

28/33D. In this way, the 28/33D takes over seamlessly from 

an illustrious predecessor: the MAN Diesel Ruston RK270 

had been the engine of choice in INCAT fast multi-hull 

ferries ever since the Hoverspeed Great Britain took the 

Blue Riband (Hales Trophy) for the fastest Atlantic Crossing 

by a passenger ship on its maiden voyage in 1990. 

As well as increased power output - the 28/33D is offered 

in 12V, 16V and 20V versions in a power range from 5400 

to 9000 kW – the new engine also features improved 

specific fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The 

improvements are based on the latest engine technology, 

including state-of-the-art combustion chamber and 

porting geometry and an electronically controlled fuel 

injection system. 

Always strongly interrelated, fuel consumption and 

emissions are ever more inextricably linked. Legal limits on 

the harmful emissions from combustion engines have been 

in force for many years and, more recently, were joined 

THE NEXT STEP IN ELECTRONIC ENGINE MANAGEMENT 

FROM MAN DIESEL, “SaCoSone” THE ACRONYM STANDS 

FOR “SAFETY AND CONTROL SYSTEM” AND THE SUFFIX FOR 

“ON ENGINE, - THE SYSTEM IS VERY COMPACT AND WILL BE 

MOUNTED ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE 28/33D. 

GRAPH OF THE EVOLUTION OF TYPICAL FUEL 

CONSUMPTION LEVELS FOR LARGE HIGH 

POWER DENSITY DIESEL ENGINES. YEAR ON 

YEAR IMPROVEMENTS MEAN THE DIESEL 

ENGINE HAS NEVER BEEN OVERTAKEN AS 

THE MOST FUEL EFFICIENT MARINE PRIME 

MOVER. ACCORDINGLY, THE 28/33D 

FEATURES A 5 TO 7% REDUCTION IN SPECIFIC 

FUEL CONSUMPTION AT UNCHANGED NOX 

EMISSIONS COMPARED WITH ITS IMMEDIATE 

PREDECESSOR. 

THE NEXT HURDLE FOR MARINE ENGINE EMISSIONS – “IMO TIER II” 


NO RESTING ON LAURELS: MAN DIESEL IS ALREADY 

DEVELOPING THE TECHNOLOGIES WHICH WILL BUILD 

ON THE FAVOURABLE CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS 

OF THE 28/33D HIGH POWER DENSITY ENGINE. 

by obligations to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas 

carbon dioxide (CO2). Since CO2 emissions are directly 

proportional to fuel consumption, the engine developer’s 

challenge is now to reduce harmful emissions without 

increasing fuel consumption or, in the best case, reduce 

both simultaneously. 

“A major challenge is emissions of oxides of nitrogen 

(NOx), which are always a special focus of legislation 

affecting large marine diesel engine emissions”, notes Dr. 

Franz Koch, Vice President, Diesel Engines at MAN Diesel 

in Augsburg, Germany, where the 28/33D is built. 

Nitrogen makes up 4/5 of the air around us but is 

very unreactive at ambient temperatures. However, 

it combines readily with oxygen – the other 1/5 of the 

atmosphere - at the temperatures and pressures reached 

in a diesel combustion chamber. Outside the combustion 

the NOx formed and emitted is instrumental in the 

formation of low level ozone, acid rain and the overfertilising 

the land and the sea. 

“The immediate target for engine builders is IMO Tier 

2, the latest directive from International Maritime 

Organisation which comes into force in 2011 and specifies 

a considerable NOx reduction vis-à-vis Tier 1,” Koch 

confirms. 


Improving exhaust emissions and fuel consumption 

involves the engine builder’s grasp of combustion 

and thus goes to the very heart of the matter. 

“Combustion is obviously the central science of 

combustion engines and MAN Diesel has special 

advantages,” he continues. “Unique among 

builders of medium speed engines, as well as 

designing, developing and producing the engine 

itself we have a great fund of knowledge and 

experience with strategic components and systems 

like turbochargers, fuel injection equipment, 

electronic hardware and engine control software. 

Using this expertise, we were able to reduce the 

specific fuel consumption of the 28/33D by some 5 

to 7% without affecting NOx emissions, compared 

with its immediate predecessor, the RK 270.” 

The reference to electronics is important since 

advanced digital engine management is the 

enabling technology of increasingly accurate and 

flexible control of parameters affecting combustion. 

“Fuel injection, turbocharging, valve timing and 

thermal engine management are the primary 

measures we use to enhance fuel efficiency and 

lower exhaust emissions ’at source’ i.e. in the 

combustion chamber,” Koch states. “The electronic 

hardware and software we use on the 28/33D 

will continue to give us scope for improvements. 

With all our in-house expertise in the key engine 

technologies at MAN Diesel, the software we write 

ourselves includes very accurate mathematical 

models of engine processes and thus gives very 

precise control.” 

Continuous Development 

The 28/33D already offers market leading values 

for emissions and fuel consumption, but technical 

milestones which will bring further improvements are 

pre-programmed into the MAN Diesel continuous 

development process. Already under preparation, 

and due for introduction later in 2008, for example, 

is the next step in electronic engine management, 

MAN Diesel’s advanced “SaCoSone” system. The 

acronym stands for “Safety and Control System” 

and the suffix for “on engine, since the system 

is very compact and mounted entirely on the 

structure of the 28/33D. 

Together with the 28/33D’s fuel injection system with 

solenoid valve controlled injectors, SaCoSone will allow 

very precise “shaping” of the rate and timing of fuel 

injection and hence greater control over combustion. 

“This technology will be an important aspect in 

undercutting IMO Tier 2 NOx emissions limits,” Koch 

states. 

Early Closing for Miller Light 

Further plans to reduce NOx emissions and fuel 

consumption on the 28/33D include a package of 

modifications to enable the so-called “Miller” process. 

Named after its inventor, the Miller process involves 

closing the inlet valve early so that air entering the 

cylinder expands and cools to reduce combustion 

temperature peaks. In fact, over 90% of NOx is formed 

due to temperature peaks during combustion and 

an elegant way to eliminate the peaks is to cool 

the combustion air entering the cylinders. “One well 

established method is the charge air cooler (a.k.a. 

intercooler or aftercooler), another the Miller process,” 

Koch observes. “On the 28/33D we achieve a “light” 

Miller process using a revised inlet cam profile to close 

the inlet valve slightly earlier. Plans call for this to be 

complemented by a turbocharger that delivers air 

to the cylinders at higher pressure. This ensures we 

still get the same amount of air into the cylinders in 

spite of shorter valve opening, to the benefit of both 

performance and fuel consumption. 

No Smoking 

Concluding, Koch notes that the sum of all these steps 

will help the 28/33D diesel engine maintain its market 

leading fuel consumption values and achieve emissions 

levels decisively below the limits of IMO Tier 2 - ahead 

of its implementation. 

Finally, he points to a very vital aspect for INCAT. 

“On passenger vessels it is especially important to 

achieve visibly clean combustion with minimal fouling. 

The measures we aim to introduce on the 28/33D 

will promote smoke-free exhaust gases under all the 

operating conditions the 28/33D engine will meet on 

an INCAT catamaran.” 


Fuel Economy at SpeedFerries 

© SpeedFerries 

SpeedOne © Andrew Cooke 

Weight and Trim: 

Hopefully the days of rocketing oil prices 

are behind us. A barrel of oil will still 

set you back significantly more than it 

would have done a few years ago and 

will almost certainly continue to do so. 

Fuel economy is now a hot topic when it 

comes to making big budget savings for 

any HSC operator. 

Saving money on fuel costs can be 

achieved by both the company and by 

the crew of the vessel themselves. The 

company can of course look at hedging 

bunker prices or careful scheduling etc. 

For the crew however, achieving the best 

fuel efficiency is somewhat of an art. 

On the vessel there are several ways to go 

about achieving the best fuel efficiency. 

In simplistic terms SpeedFerries crews 

have taken steps to achieve savings in 

the following manner: 

A lighter boat normally means a faster boat for the same amount 

of thrust and therefore less fuel per mile. Weight reduction can be 

achieved by: 

• Minimising bunkers carried. Decide on a minimum safe level 

and bunker little and often, preferably at each port. SpeedOne 

normally carries 22m³ on departure and bunkers at both Dover 

and Boulogne. 

• Minimise dry and wet stores to those actually required for the 

voyage. 

• Distribute the vehicles to achieve the best trim with a part load. 

Distribute the heavier/lighter vehicles to best help trim on a full 

load. In practise biasing the weight of vehicles carried to the 

forward end of the SpeedOne is considered most beneficial, 

particularly if operating on three engines. 

• Keep your bilges dry and have good housekeeping routines for 

all your spaces. 

• Use the correct settings of the ride control to assist with achieving 

optimum trim for the particular depth of water. Minimise the 

use/settings of active ride control when the weather conditions 

permit. On SpeedOne the optimum trim tab setting has been 

found to be around 52% for a full load. 


Water Resistance: 

Keeping your underwater hull coating in good 

condition will decrease resistance through 

the water. This can be achieved by correct 

application and maintenance of the coating 

at dry dock and also by removal of any 

underwater growth from time to time by using 

underwater scrubbing machines. SpeedOne 

was recently scrubbed mid season by Burgess 

Engineering Divers during a night layover and 

gained circa 1 knot in speed. Shall we call 

that a 3% fuel saving between a dirty and a 

clean hull 

Routing: 

Correct routing can achieve fuel savings by: 

• Routing through the optimum depth of 

water. Shallow water is generally faster for 

an HSC and the extra speed gained may 

more than offset a slightly longer route. 

• Avoiding or taking advantage of local 

tidal streams or areas of greater flow rates. 

Change your route to one appropriate for 

the tide. 

• Otherwise, taking the most direct safe route. 

Save an average of half a mile on a 50 mile 

route and that’s a 1% fuel saving. 

Engine Power: 

Depending on schedule constraints the 

optimum speed for fuel economy has been 

found to be just above normal hump speed. 

After pushing through hump speed engine 

power can then be reduced to the minimum 

required to maintain the speed and this is further 

adjusted to allow for the positive and negative 

effects of different depths of water. In general, 

shallow water, provided it is entered at above 28 

knots, will have a positive effect on SpeedOne’s 

water speed and deep water will also help 

when at lower craft speeds. Careful monitoring 

and regular adjustment is of course required. 

Note that a fantastic by-product of running at 

reduced power is of course reduced engine 

wear/stress, in itself a saving. 

Finally, in rough weather, particularly with a 

quarter or following sea, manual steering is 

far more efficient for directional stability than 

the autopilot system, which tends to overwork, 

chasing the yawing of the vessel caused by 

the following seas. In these situations, careful 

application of manual helm ultimately results 

in fuel savings, by achieving a straighter course 

and less application of helm reducing drag. 

Adding all of the above together, savings of 10% 

have recently been achieved at SpeedFerries 

from consumption in 2005. Potential savings 

could also be achieved by additional 

investment in fitting a better autopilot such 

as an adaptive type and / or fitting fuel 

consumption meters to give the Master a realtime 

readout of economy. Previously these 

were cost prohibitive but may now be worth the 

investment. 


How Fast Ferries Rank: Shipping produces fewer greenhouse 

gases per tonne-mile than other forms of transport, as ships need relatively 

little energy to push huge loads through the water that supports them. 

Some large ships are more responsible than others for a significant 

percentage of worldwide emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, 

sulphur, air toxics and greenhouse gases. These ships are increasing in number and size, while 

the residual heavy fuel oil they use is degrading in quality. 

High speed ships, currently burning significantly cleaner Marine Gas Oil, are already part of the 

solution in the task of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide. 



Lower Fuel Consumption 

Route planning, reduction in ballast intake and sensible cargo 

distribution help lower the vessel’s displacement. The lower the 

displacement, the lower its fuel consumption. 

Why would you fly when you can sail It makes sense to sail: the planet 

benefits thanks to greater operational efficiency, but so do passengers. There’s no 

need to check in an hour before departure, no need to shed belts and shoes for airport 

security and passengers can take as many bags as they like! They can move around 

the vessel, do some shopping, and not be squashed into small seat spaces for long 

periods of time. 

‘Green’ is a buzzword in the travel trade and ferry travel is rising in popularity as a result. 

Travelling by high speed ferry is relaxing and kinder to the environment, not to mention 

blood pressure levels! 


Economy with a Capital E! 


Over the past year soaring oil prices have 

forced ship owners to scrutinise their operating 

profiles in search of ways to lessen the fuel cost 

impact. 

High speed ferries have traditionally had large 

power packages to provide fast transit speeds. 

However, as high speed vessels have grown in 

size and technologies advance, so too has an 

increase in the flexibility a fast ferry offers. 

Incat’s passenger and freight carrying high 

speed ferries are a good example of this as 

demonstrated in the graph below. On the 

Irish Sea, one of Europe’s most competitive 

stretches of water, the range of services 

varies across a range of Ropax and high 

speed vessels. The largest high speed craft 

on the 58 nautical miles central corridor, the 

HSS, is capable of offering up to five round 

trips a day – a frequency it did indeed offer 

when first introduced in 1996. 

As the graph illustrates, the Incat 112 metre 

craft compares favourably over a 24 hour 

period with all other vessels, transporting 

passengers and cars swiftly and efficiently. 

Operation over a 24hr period 

Example service: Holyhead to Dublin Bay - 2008 

HSS Superferry Incat 112m High Speed Car Ferry 

15000 

6000 

15000 

Fuel tonnes per seat 

92 

180 

3750 

3000 

4170 

2000 

8000 

7500 

14068 

46 

5670 

0.0168 

0.012 

0.006 

0.009 

32 

N/A 

Pax 

Crew 

Cars 

Truck Lane Metres 

*Figures are approximate and based on potential operation over a 24hr period. 


The Vital Role of Ports 



Before the advent of high-speed car-carrying catamarans 

during the early ‘90s the vast majority of ferry ports turned the 

average passenger/car ferry around in a little less than three 

hours. Today, such a time allocation is unthinkable for all but the 

very largest conventional RoPax and cruise ferries. 

The need for faster turnarounds became an issue during the 

late ‘70s and early ‘80s, particularly with the appearance of 

new generation double deck passenger car ferries disgorging 

vehicle deck loads of trucks, coaches and cars onto terminal 

compounds all over Europe. Large ports such as Dover where 

slot times on berths were, and still are, at a premium, invested 

heavily in new linkspans and multiple check-in points to meet 

the requirements of these larger ferries; coping not only with 

increased truck capacities but also meeting the demand to 

speed up turnarounds. 

If drive through double deck ferries brought the necessity for 

faster turnarounds, then for operators, the high speed vessels of 

the 90s turned that necessity into a burning passion. Once again 

turnaround times were slashed, as most ports moved to provide 

a customer service model based on airline operations. 

Today, as ferry companies look to run their operations in the 

most efficient manner, ports once again have an important part 

to play. 

Can that one hour 

turnaround be reduced by 

say between 15 and 30 

minutes In many cases 

the answer is yes. 

Given the nature of a fast 

ferry schedule, punctuality 

is all the more important 

as a delayed sailing early 

morning often carries right 

through the remainder 

of the day. On occasion 

these delays occur in port, 

some being attributable to 

shore staff and some to the 

craft crew. In busy ports this 

can mean a vessel losing its 

departure “slot” and being 

delayed even further by 

having to go to the back of 

the queue. 

On some routes we are seeing crossing times extended slightly 

in order to save fuel, but in many cases this has had little effect 

on schedules as port turnaround times have been refined and 

improved. 


If we look at the terminal side first, perhaps the greatest 

key to a smooth and efficient fast craft terminal 

operation is the way in which traffic marshalling is 

handled. Efficient ground control is vital. 

Working in unison with the terminal duty manager, the 

craft’s loading officer must have access to vehicles of 

the correct size as and when required. As the size of 

fast craft has grown to accommodate freight traffic 

in increasing numbers this ability is not so much a 

luxury but an absolute necessity. The layout of vehicle 

space in the terminal must allow for easy traffic flow 

from the ship to the exit gate while at the same time 

avoiding traffic awaiting shipment on the return 

sailing. Nothing should be allowed to hinder the 

smooth flow of traffic from the vehicle deck. Should 

traffic become bottlenecked in the terminal then 

the flow breaks down and while loading operations 

could be getting underway the whole show grinds to 

a halt. Vehicle segregation is also important where a 

terminal may be handling more than one operator 

and destination so crossing of traffic needs to be 

avoided at all costs. 

One way to discover where any bottlenecks are is 

to simply observe the different parts of the operation 

and then seek the views and ideas of the people 

doing the job - they are usually in the best position 

to know. 

Looking at the ship side of the equation, what causes a 

craft to be late 

A late departure from the opposite port, weather 

delays, traffic queues, technical problems or it could 

be that time is being lost berthing and securing the 

craft. Obviously some issues are unavoidable but some 

can be dealt with through effective training and good 

communication. 

If it seems a craft might get into position very quickly, 

but then time is lost securing lines and lowering the 

linkspan/stern ramp and foot passenger gangway, then 

it is most likely training improvements can be made that 

will save time and ease the pressure. Whilst there is no 

substitute for experience, people need to be properly 

trained in the first instance and it is often the case when 

time is tight and the pressure is on that training is the first 

casualty. Time spent in proper and meaningful training 

will almost always be rewarded in practice. Time must 

be allocated for training and the training must be 

meaningful and relevant, it’s as simple as that. 

There are so many ways in which areas for improvement 

can be identified and implemented and we at Incat 

don’t claim to have all the answers. However, in 

our experience looking at global ferry operations, a 

crossing at an economical speed does not always have 

to mean a loss of frequency or overall round trip time. 



Fuel Consumption 

in Context Justin Merrigan 

Nothing in the ferry industry draws debate more 

than mention in the same breath of fuel economy 

and high speed craft. There is no question, world 

oil prices are a major concern for the industry and 

many committed operators have taken steps to 

improve operational efficiency, in some cases by 

sailing slightly slower to reduce fuel consumption 

while still maintaining a fast service and generally 

improving how their vessels are operated. 

Slower, in this regard, can mean 34 - 35 knots, rather 

than 38 - 40 knots. For off peak sailings a much 

more substantial reduction to below ‘hump speed’ 

can be made, say 22 - 23 knots. 

Across the industry, further savings have 

been realised through improved engine 

tuning, and more efficient loading. 

All this, combined with slower speeds, 

can contribute to significant reductions in 

fuel use. 

On the Irish Sea, Stena Line has already 

taken steps to run their HSS vessels more 

efficiently. The published schedule for 

the 58 nautical miles crossing between 

Holyhead, North Wales, and Dun 

Laoghaire on Dublin Bay, has risen from 99 

minutes to 115. Further north the passage 


from Belfast to Stranraer now takes 119 

minutes, an increase of up to 14 minutes 

on previous schedules depending on the 

time of day. 

However, both HSS’s are driven by powerful 

gas turbines with a fuel bill far in excess of 

Incat’s largest diesel craft – the 112 metre 

Wave Piercing Catamaran. 

The reduction in HSS speed has seen 

consumption drop from approximately 

30,000 litres per crossing to around 22,000 

litres per crossing from Holyhead - a saving 

of 8,000 litres per crossing. However, if 

we look at the Incat 112 metre running 

at 100% power, which nobody does, we 

see that she will burn around 13,000 litres 

for the berth-to-berth crossing – that’s an 

impressive 9,000 litres less than the speed restricted HSS. 

Reduce the engine RPM on the 112 metre vessel to 

a more normal 80% MCR and the consumption for a 

berth-to-berth crossing at around 34 – 35 knots drops 

to approximately 10,500 litres, or around 8.75 litres. 

We do not mean to say the HSS concept is flawed, 

far from it! However these vessels were designed 

in the 1990’s when oil was a fraction of current 

prices and were built to operate until at least 2022. 

They use more than twice as much fuel as a 

conventional ferry, consuming a Marine Gas Oil 

similar to kerosene used in jet aircraft and double the 

price of standard marine fuel. 

But some still claim that diesel high speed ferries 

are too costly to run in today’s economic climate. 

We think a look at the diesel high speed craft in 

historical context is warranted. 

This graph shows comparisons in fuel consumption per nautical mile between typical vessels. 

All vessels have what is known as hump spped. 

Large ships must operate best above hump speed. By operating Incat’s 112m vessels 

above hump speed, operators will benefit from the most efficient fuel consumption figures. 

T o n n e s p e r n a u t i c a l m i l e 

RO RO LIMIT 

no go zone 

BEST SPEED 

FAST SHIPS 

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 

Speed (knots) 


Stena Sea Lynx 

© Gary Davies Maritime Photographic 

Holyhead Ferry 1 

St Columba 

When commissioned, fuel 

consumption on the Holyhead 

to Dun Laoghaire route, 802 

deadweight tonne mailships 

Hibernia and Cambria averaged 

about 6,000 litres per trip on 

the 58 nautical miles service 

(BTC Registry of Ships). This was 

improved during refits in 1964, 

burning class B Marine Diesel 

Oil, a consumption rate of 5,400 

Hibernia 

© Justin Merrigan Collection 

© Justin Merrigan Collection 

litres (4.5 tonnes) per trip being 

achieved at a reduced rating 

(The Motor Ship). 

© Glynne Pritchard 

By comparison, the ships they 

replaced in 1949 consumed 

about 70 tonnes of coal per 

round trip (The Motor Ship). 

Graphs have been based on single 58 nautical mile crossings 

Hibernia (1949) Holyhead Ferry 1(1965) St Columba (1977) Stena Sea Lynx (1993) HSS (1996) Incat 112 (2008) 

Passengers 

Cars 

Speed (knots) 

FUEL (Litres) 

2500 

500 

25000 

2250 

2000 

1750 

1500 

1250 

1000 

750 

500 

250 

0 

450 

400 

350 

300 

250 

200 

150 

100 

50 

0 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

Capable speed 40 knots 

Economical speed 35 knots 


22500 

20000 

17500 

15000 

12500 

10000 

7500 

5000 

2500 

0 



Hibernia (1949) 

30 Incat THE Magazine Issue 36 

Holyhead Ferry 1(1965)

In 1965, the route received 

its first car ferry, the 867 

deadweight tonnes Holyhead 

Ferry 1. Powered by oil-fired 

steam turbines she consumed 

12,600 litres of fuel per crossing. 

Capacity was 1000 passengers 

and 150 cars. 

In 1977 the larger 1945 

deadweight tonnes St Columba 

came along, her diesels burning 

around 9,600 litres of fuel per 

crossing at a speed of 19.5 

knots. Intensive running with four 

sailings per day were offered, 

the ship having capacity for 

litres a crossing, times were halved and with capacity for 450 passengers and 88 

cars the craft operated with a crew of just 20, a fraction of that carried by the 

conventional ships. 

In 2009, a 1000-1450 deadweight tonnes 112 metre with capacity for 1200 

passengers and 417 cars can comfortably offer up to four round trips per day, 

with scope to offer five round trips if required, burning around 10,500 tonnes of 

fuel per crossing at speeds of around 35 knots. 

But what about the large medium speed Ro-pax vessels we hear you say! On 

the same route a modern Ro-pax burns around 18,000 litres per crossing. Well yes, 

they can carry 3,500 metres of freight in addition to passengers, but that is, after 

all, a very different market. 

So, as the above clearly demonstrates, efficient Incat high speed Wave Piercing 

Catamarans are not the so called ‘gas guzzlers’ many would claim them to be. 

58 nautical miles Irish Sea crossing 

2400 passengers and 335 cars. 

In 1993, the route’s first High 

Speed ferry, the first generation 

200 deadweight tonnes Incat 

HSS Up to 1500 passengers: 22,000* - 30,000 

litres of fuel per crossing. 

Incat 112m Up to 1500 passengers: approximately 10,500 

litres of fuel per crossing, at 80% MCR. 

8 crossings possible. 


74 metre Stena Sea Lynx made 

her debut. Burning around 6,000 

Ro-pax 

Up to 1500 passengers: 18,000 litres of fuel 

per crossing, at 20 knots. 



Weather Routing 

Careful attention to passage planning, taking into account the 

effect of wind, tide, current and wave on the craft can make a 

huge difference to the amount of fuel used on any given crossing. 

Over the course of a year, this can make for cost savings in the 

millions as well as helping the environment. 


Bonanza Express © Andrew Cooke 

The Bonanza Express was Incat’s second 96 metre vessel 

being delivered in May 1999 to Fred. Olsen S.A. for service 

in the Canary Islands, the Spanish province 100 kilometres 

off the north-west coast of Africa. Serving the 35 nautical 

miles route between the ports of Santa Cruz in Tenerife 

and Agaete in Gran Canaria, the ferry slashed previous 

travel times between the two ports from two hours and 15 

minutes to just one hour. 

The introduction of this vessel by the Fred. Olsen Company 

was a major step forward in maritime transport in the 

Canary Islands, being the first high speed ferry to operate 

in the entire archipelago. Discussions between Fred. 

Olsen and Incat had been going on for several years, but 

it was only with the introduction of the 96 metre class that 

the operator really sat up and took notice. 

With this design the customer was satisfied with the 

craft’s ability to carry high volumes of passengers and 

cars as well as heavy freight vehicles, offering the 

flexibility to meet seasonal and market fluctuations. 

A maximum deadweight of 775 tonnes underpinned the 

freight intake capacity while the provision of moveable 

mezzanine vehicle decks allowed the necessary lane 

where are they now 

The Bonanza 

Express 


HULL 051 

metres required for maximum car loading, as well as 

the requisite headroom for commercial vehicles. As 

built, the vessel was designed to carry a total of 755 

passengers and 235 cars or alternatively 105 cars and 

25 heavy goods vehicles. 

On trials The Bonanza Express achieved speeds of 

48 knots in lightship condition and 42.85 knots at 630 

tonnes deadweight. 

Today The Bonanza Express offers a daily two hour 

service between the islands of El Hierro and Tenerife, 

as well as daily connections between Los Cristianos 

(Tenerife) and San Sebastián de La Gomera. 


Custom made solutions from 

the primary stage of design to 

site installation. 

Colpro Engineering (Australia) Pty Ltd. 

is a leading manufacturer of high performance 

silencers, acoustic and exhaust systems and thermal exhaust 

insulation blankets predominantly for the marine, mining and 

transport industries. Colpro provides total custom made solutions from 

the primary stage of design to the final stage of site installation 

Colpro are proud to supply Exhaust and Acoustic System for INCAT Fast Ferries, 

Royal Australian Navy, Anzac Frigates and Minehunters, Luxury Yachts and 

Commmercial Shipping. 

 

 

ZF Technology – 

the intelligent choice. 

Because it is important 

to get you there safely, 

and on time. 

www.zf.com 

Colpro Engineering (Australia) Pty Ltd. is a leading manufacturer of high performance 

silencers, acoustic and exhaust systems and thermal exhaust insulation blankets 

predominantly for the marine, mining and transport industries. Colpro provides total 

custom made solutions from the primary stage of design to the final stage of site 

installation 

Colpro are proud to supply Exhaust and Acoustic System for INCAT Fast Ferries, Royal 

Australian Navy, Anzac Frigates and Minehunters, Luxury Yachts and Commmercial 

Shipping. 

Fleet operators as well as ship owners want efficient 

vessels with high availability and reliability. This means 

installed equipment must be easy to maintain, have low 

through-life costs and perform around the clock in the 

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ZF Marine provides complete systems comprising gearboxes, 

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to satisfy these requirements and has a worldwide aftersales 

and service network on call at all times. We help 

you run a profitable business! 

Please see our comprehensive product portfolio, dealers’ 

addresses and much more, at www.zf-marine.com 

Driveline and Chassis Technology 


UPDATES SINCE LAST ISSUE 

SHIPS in Service 

HULL TYPE TRADING NAME OPERATOR ROUTE/LOCATION 

066 112m WPC Hull 066 MGC Chartering Under Construction 

065 112 m WPC Natchan World Higashi Nihon Ferry Hakodate - Aomori 

064 112 m WPC Natchan Rera Higashi Nihon Ferry Hakodate - Aomori 

063 17 m Liveaboard Sixty Three 17m Projects Pty Ltd Hobart 

062 98 m WPC Milenium Tres Acciona Trasmediterránea S.A Melilla – Malaga / Almeria 

061 98 m WPC HSV 2 Swift US Navy Global 

060 98 m WPC T&T Spirit Port Authority of Trinidad & Tobago / Bay Ferries Port of Spain - Scarborough 

059 98 m WPC The Cat Bay Ferries Yarmouth – Bar Harbor/Portland 

058 98 m WPC Milenium Dos Acciona Trasmediterránea S.A Barcelona – Palma de Mallorca - Ibiza 

057 98 m WPC Normandie Express Brittany Ferries Cherbourg / Caen - Portsmouth 

056 96 m WPC Milenium Acciona Trasmediterránea S.A Valencia – Ibiza – Palma de Mallorca/Barcelona 

055 96 m WPC Bentago Express Fred. Olsen, S.A. Santa Cruz de Tenerife - Agaete (Gran Canaria) 

054 Wing R & D Craft Hobart 

053 96 m WPC Bencomo Express Fred. Olsen, S.A. Santa Cruz de Tenerife - Agaete (Gran Canaria) 

052 96 m WPC Alboran Acciona Trasmediterránea S.A Algeciras – Ceuta 

051 96 m WPC Bonanza Express 

Fred. Olsen, S.A. 

Los Cristianos de Tenerife - San Sebastian – El Hierro 

050 96 m WPC Incat 050 Isle of Man Steam Packet Company 

Portsmouth, refitting 

NF08 80 m K50 HD 1 HD Ferries Channel Islands – Saint Malo 

049 91 m WPC Fjord Cat Fjord Line Kristiansand – Hanstholm 

048 91 m WPC Max Mols Mols Linien Aps Aarhus - Odden 

047 91 m WPC Express P&O Ferries Larne – Cairnryan / Troon 

046 91 m WPC T&T Express Port Authority of Trinidad & Tobago / Bay Ferries Port of Spain - Scarborough 

045 86 m WPC SpeedOne SpeedFerries Dover - Boulogne 

044 86 m WPC Condor Vitesse Brittany Ferries Poole - Cherbourg 

Condor Ferries Ltd 

Weymouth / Poole - Channel Islands – St Malo 

043 86 m WPC Tarifa Jet Ferrys Rapidos del Sur Tarifa - Tanger 

042 86 m WPC Condor Express Condor Ferries Ltd Weymouth / Poole - Channel Islands – St Malo 

041 81 m WPC Jaume III Baleària Algerciras – Ceuta 

040 81 m WPC Stena Lynx III Stena Line Fishguard - Rosslare 

039 Solar R & D Craft 

038 81 m WPC Jaume II Baleària Algerciras – Ceuta 

037 78 m K50 Sun Flower Dae A Gosok, Korea Pohang - Ulung Island 

036 70 m K55 Juan Patricio Buquebus Aliscafos Buenos Aires – Colonia - Montevideo 

035 78 m WPC Mega Jet Sea Jets Crete – Santorini - Sifnos - Piraeus 

034 78 m WPC Elanora Maritime Company for Navigation Gizan to Farasan Island 

033 78 m WPC Jaume I Baleària Algerciras – Tanger 

032 74 m WPC Atlantic III Ferrylineas S.A. Buenos Aires – Colonia – Montevideo 

031 74 m WPC Mandarin Société de Développement de Moorea Refitting 

030 74 m WPC Condor 10 Condor Ferries Ltd Guernsey / Jersey – St Malo 

029 R & D Craft 

028 74 m WPC Al Huda 1 Sea Hawk Safaga - Dhuba 

027 74 m WPC Pescara Jet SNAV Pescara - Split 

026 74 m WPC Snaefell Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Douglas – Dublin / Belfast 

025 74 m WPC Sea Runner Golden Princess Crete - Santorini - Paros - Mykonos 

024 74 m WPC Patricia Olivia Baleària Algeciras – Ceuta 

023 74 m WPC Emeraude France Maritime Charter Sales Ltd Tilbury, UK 

The above information included Incat vehicle/passenger ferries only and is correct to the best of the editor’s knowledge. 

Please let us know of changes so that we can keep our readers up to date. 

EARLIER VESSELS 

HULL ORIGINAL NAME HULL ORIGINAL NAME HULL ORIGINAL NAME 

001 Jeremiah Ryan 

002 James Kelly 

003 A.K Ward 

004 Fitzroy 

005 Tangalooma 

006 Amaroo II 

007 Green Islander 

008 Quicksilver 

009 Spirit of Roylen 

010 Trojan 

011 Keppel Cat I 

012 Thunderbird (Bull’s Marine) 

013 Little Devil 

014 Pybus Rutherglen punt 

015 Margaret Rintoul IV 

016 Spirit of Victoria 

017 Tassie Devil 2001 

018 Starship Genesis 

019 2000 

020 Our Lady Patricia 

021 Our Lady Pamela 

022 Sea Flight 


www.amisales.com.au 

The 

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US NAVY'S - Incat

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