Austal Australia has rolled out the hull and attached the superstructure for the first of two 118-m trimarans under construction for Fred Olsen Express of the Canary Islands
Bajamar Express was rolled out onto the hardstand at Austal Australia’s Henderson shipyard in Western Australia on 14 December, in preparation for final fit out before launch in February 2020.
Austal chief executive officer David Singleton said “Bajamar Express is one of nine trimarans we are currently building for commercial and defence customers throughout the world. We have two of these amazing 118-m trimarans ferries for Fred Olsen Express underway – one here in Australia and one in the Philippines, an 83-m trimaran ferry for JR Kyushu Jet Ferry of Japan under construction here in Australia, plus six Littoral Combat Ships under construction for the US Navy in Mobile, Alabama,” he said.
“We can’t wait to see Bajamar Express in the water – it will be a truly impressive sight and along with its sister ship Bañaderos Express, a fantastic addition to the Fred Olsen Express fleet.”
Austal was awarded the contract for the two 118-m trimarans, worth over A$190M (US$131M), in October 2017 and construction of the first vessel commenced in September 2018. With construction on track and fit out scheduled over the New Year, the vessel is on schedule for delivery in Q2 2020.
Capable of transporting more than 1,100 passengers and 276 cars at speeds of up to 38 knots, the new ferries feature Austal’s latest, optimised trimaran hull form and will be fitted with Austal’s motion control technology that delivers a smoother ride and an enhanced on board experience for both customers and crew.
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