Trinidad & Tobago orders fleet of fast ferries from Austal

Australian fast ferry builder Austal has secured a four vessel order from Trinidad & Tobago’s National Infrastructure Development Co Ltd (NIDCO).  All four 41m craft are each designed to carry 405 passengers at a service speed of 37 knots and will operate a new water taxi service between San Fernando and Port of Spain in southwest Trinidad, reducing travel time between north and south Trinidad by almost two thirds.

Delivery of the Caribbean quartet is set for late 2010.

The new water taxi service is part of the Government of Trinidad & Tobago’s ‘Vision 2020’ strategy which aims for an efficient, integrated, multi-modal public transport system. When fully operation the water taxi service is expected to carry between 8,000 and 12,000 passengers in a normal working day and will be integrated with other public transport systems.

All four ferries will be built by Austal’s shipyards in Tasmanian and Western Australia. Passenger seating will be slit over two levels, with the main passenger deck featuring four passenger entry points, a central kiosk and dedicated baggage compartment and bike racks. The vessels will be powered by four MTU 16V2000 M72 diesel engines driving KaMeWa waterjets and will be fitted with Austal Ride Control to ensure passenger comfort.

A well as performing an important water taxi service, the ferries will also provide emergency backup for the existing inter-island service between Trinidad and Tobago. To meet this secondary function, Austal has configured all four vessels with the capability to retrofit and forward-mounted T-foil ride control system at short notice, allowing the vessels to operate in open, unprotected seas.

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