SHIPYARD NEWS

Innovative ambulance catamaran

7 years ago

Under construction at Maritime Partner’s Alesund yard is an ambulance catamaran that will be the smallest vessel to be fitted with Wavefoil’s innovative foil system writes Dag Pike.

The Wavefoil units weigh in at 400 kilos per module

This ambulance boat will operate in the north of Norway and the requirement was for a vessel that could offer a comfortable ride for casualties in adverse conditions. The boat is based on Maritime Partner’s 21 metre catamaran design with construction in aluminium. The hull is being built in Eastern Europe and will be fitted out at Maritime partner’s yard with completion scheduled for August this year.

The design of the boat is by Arne Lindstøl who commented, “There has been a great focus on the environmental perspective in the design process of this vessel. The hull is built from re-cycled aluminium which uses just 5% of the energy of new aluminium and the hull will be left bare to stop paint emissions. The development of this vessel has been carried out in close cooperation with the ship owners, crew, user’s research institutions, class companies and authorities.”

Power will be provided by a pair of Volvo Penta IPS 1050 units and this will give a top speed of 32 knots. The passenger capacity is 12 and the sickbay, which has space for two stretchers has been equipped with a rail system that allows the interior to be built up in modules and quickly changed if needed. Hydraulic lifts will be fitted that will allow patients to be transferred to high quaysides and there are entrances on three different levels with ramps in between to give maximum flexibility.

The Wavefoil units are designed to use the pitching motions of the vessel to generate propulsive thrust as well as helping to damp out pitching motions. They are the first small units to be fitted to a fast boat and they are constructed mainly from aluminium to be compatible with the hull structure with some elements in stainless steel and a bronze alloy. They weigh in at 400 kilos per module.

Experience with a Wavefoil fitted to a larger monohull ferry has shown that there can be a 20% reduction in fuel consumption. Whilst such a gain will be important for this ambulance boat, the main benefit is likely to be found with the reduced vessel motions.