New Ferry Design for Caribbean Tourist Route

Incat Crowther designed a new 24-m passenger fast ferry for Caribbean operator Smith's Ferry Services. Built by Australian shipyard Aluminium Marine in Brisbane, the new ferry will transport 149 passengers at speeds of up to 28 knots and has been designed for the busy Charlotte Amalie (U.S Virgin Islands) to Road Town (British Virgin Islands) tourism route.

The main deck can transport 118 passengers in air-conditioned comfort. It boasts a large service kiosk, two bathrooms, and luggage space. The ferry has also been designed to be handicap accessible and has two spaces for people with wheelchairs on its main deck. The vessel’s upper deck features premium outdoor seating for 40 passengers and protected storage boxes for luggage. The vessel’s wheelhouse provides the vessel’s captain with an excellent line of sight, ensuring safe operations in almost any sea condition.

The vessel is powered by two MAN 2862 LE454 EPA Tier 3 compliant diesel engines rated for 588 kilowatts (kW) in a continuous duty application. Rikky Baynes, Operations Manager at Smith’s Ferry Services, said: “We required a vessel that not only delivered a premium customer experience but one that was also operationally efficient and tailored to the sea state conditions we experience on the Caribbean Sea.” “Incat Crowther has delivered on this brief by designing a vessel that will provide a step change in comfort and operational reliability for people traveling between the US and the British Virgin Islands,” said Mr. Baynes.