Austal in new cross channel ferry service

The UK based ferry company has entered into an agreement with Henderson, Western Australia based Austal Ltd covering a four year charter of Austal Hull 270, a trimaran ferry to their Austal Auto Express design, described as a ‘stock vessel’ by the company, adding that they have received security that enables further work to be undertaken to prepare the vessel for the charter.

The vessel is due to arrive in Ramsgate in January 2013, the service becoming fully operational in February. Catering for foot passengers, cars and coaches, Euroferries will be offering four daily crossings, which at 40 knots will make it one of the fastest channel crossings available.

Austal has established a well proven track record with their innovative trimaran hull form fast ferries, over 200 examples having been delivered since the landmark Benchigijigua Expressentered service in 2005. The Austal Auto Express for Euroferries is 102m LOA with a 27.4m beam and 4.5m maximum draft. Three lounges will provide seating for a total of 1,165 passengers. Cargo carrying capacity is listed as 254 cars or 188 trucks plus 145 cars, carried on a mix of fixed and hoistable vehicle decks. Propulsion is provided by three Wartsila 3LJX 1300 waterjets powered by MTU main engines developing a total of 9,100 kW. MTU also supply four auxiliary generators.

For the Kent port of Ramsgate, news of the new service will be welcome, particularly coming on top of its success in attracting considerable amounts of traffic from the burgeoning offshore windfarm industry in the area. The port has also had a long association with cross-channel ferry services, both freight and passenger/car trades. Perhaps the best known of these was the popular Sally Line service to Dunkerque, set up in the 1980’s. The company was a subsidiary of Finland based Rederi AB Sally (initially marketed as Sally Viking Line).

Currently, a car and freight service is operated between Ramsgate and Ostend in Belgium by Transeuropa Ferries. Foot passengers are not currently accommodated. The people of Thanet will be watching developments with some interest. There have been previous false dawns with the prospect of both fast and conventional ferry links with continental Europe. One aspect of the attraction of selecting Ramsgate for this new service has to be the improved road and rail links to this area of east Kent. Euroferries has stated it will introduce an express coach service between London and Ramsgate, but ultimately it will be the market that decides if there is room for another operator in the cross-channel ferry trades.

By Peter Barker