Aker Finnyards Delivers Unique Ferry

Irish Continental Group has taken delivery of its newest vessel, the $92 million cruise ferry m.v. Ulysses, from Aker Finnyards. With 2.6 miles (4 km) of deck space for commercial vehicles and cars, and accommodation for 2,000 people, the Ulysses is the largest ferry of its kind in the world, ICG said. The vessel, which is expected to arrive at Dublin port on Sunday, will enter service on ICG's route between Dublin and Holyhead in Wales in a month's time, it said. Ulysses is 50,938 grt and stands 12 decks high, with a keel-to-mast height of 167.5 feet. Onboard features include a complex of bistro-style restaurants, two cinemas, a 500-seat traditional Irish pub, a shopping mall, a helicopter pad, and a glass-fronted passenger lift, which operates on the outside of the vessel. The boat can carry 1,342 cars or 240 articulated trucks per sailing. - (Reuter)