It is for regular service between the German ports of Friedrichshafen and Constance, where her two sisters, Fridolin and Constanze, have worked almost non-stop since last July after delivery by Bodan-Werft to Katamaran-Reederei Bodensee.

As of June this year, the catamarans, which carry 185 people at a time, had logged over 300,000 passengers.

The need for the latest €2.7 m ship was well demonstrated by last year’s performances. Fridolin and Constanze each put in 2,700 operational hours, working 15 hours a day at 22 knots, with breaks only for minor engine or weather problems. Each vessel is powered by two 552 kW MAN common rail injection diesels over ZF gears. The cats were in service 99.5% of the time, something “rarely seen among transport systems”, said Katamaran-Reederei MD Rainer Schöttle.

In January and February each ship had to come out of service for overhaul, installation of new air conditioning and heating improvements, meaning reduced services and passenger totals on the remaining vessel.

Katamaran-Reederei ordered the third ship in March under an unusual 10 year lease contract with Bodan-Werft, which in turn secured the financing for the ship. Yard MD Robert Dittmann told MJ it would be registered by the end of the year and go into service early in 2007.

By TOM TODD