118-m Bajamar Express and 83-m Queen Beetle underwent sea trials side-by-side off the coast of Perth, Western Australia
As Bajamar Express departed Australia on its delivery voyage to the Canary Islands, it was joined by Queen Beetle undergoing sea trials. Both trimarans, designed and constructed by Austal Australia, are the latest designs of a proven hull form first developed for Fred Olsen Express’ 127-m Benchijigua Express in 2005.
Austal chief executive David Singleton said “Our shipyards, supply chain partners and of course our customers are thrilled to see the results of all our hard work, showcased in these two impressive trimarans,”
“Seeing Bajamar Express side-by-side with Queen Beetle really does highlight Austal’s success in developing the trimaran hull as an effective high-speed commercial maritime transport solution.
Following the delivery of Bajamar Express to Fred Olsen Express, Austal has a further nine trimarans under construction or scheduled at the company’s shipyards around the world and the company said it remains the only shipbuilder designing, constructing and sustaining large high-speed trimaran ferries, globally.
Austal’s trimaran hull form offers ferry operators greater flexibility in vessel design configuration for vehicle and passenger capacity. The trimaran hull is coupled with Austal’s motion control system and Marinelink-Smart program to ensure a smoother, more stable ride for passengers and crew.
Bajamar Express will commence service in the Canary Islands in August 2020 and will transport up to 1,100 passengers and 276 cars at cruising speeds of 38 knots. Queen Beetle will be able to transport 502 passengers across two passenger decks, at speeds of up to 37 knots on JR Kyushu Jet Ferry’s Fukuoka, Japan – Busan, South Korea route.
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