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AUTO EXPRESS 85LAUNCHED

NOCTURNE -A LITTLE PHOTOGRAPHY

LASTOCHKA HYDROFOILSENTERS SERVICE

IN CHINA

22 CLASSIC FAST FERRIES 4 / 2005

4 n A P R I L 2 0 0 5 n V O L U M E S I X E42200504

NEWS AND ARTICLES ABOUT CIVIL HYDROFOILS, HOVERCRAFT & CATAMARANS | EDITOR/PUBLISHER : TIM TIMOLEONALL ARTICLES, LAYOUT & ARTWORK PRODUCTION, EXCEPT WHERE NOTED : TIM TIMOLEON | PUBLISHED IN PDFFORMAT | WWW.CLASSICFASTFERRIES.COM | SUBMITTALS OF MANUSCRIPTS AND PHOTOS, OLD AND NEW, ANDRELEVANT NEWS ITEMS ARE ENCOURAGED! | EMAIL TO : CFF @ EMAIL.DK | COPYRIGHT 2000/2005 CLASSIC FAST FERRIES.COVER PHOTO : FORMER DANISH KVÆRNER FJELLSTRAND FLYING CAT 40M CATAMARANS MEXICO V AND MEXICO IVBEING PREPARED FOR SHIPMENT TO MEXICO IN COPENHAGEN ON A JANUARY EVENING IN 2001 / TIM TIMOLEON photo

French operator Emeraude Jersey Ferries has soldits Westamarin W5000CF vehicle/passengercatamaran Aline to Iscomar Ferrys based in theBalearic island of Mallorca. Following a refit at St. Malo, the 302-passenger36-car vessel left France for Spain on its ownbottom on March 10 and having called at Bilbao,Setúbal and Cádiz arrived in Alicante, on thecountry's east coast, on March 22. Renamed Pitiusa Nova the catamaran was initiallyto have entered service in the Balearics betweenIbiza and Formentera in mid-March, but as this

issue closed for press the actual start-up was yetto be confirmed by Iscomar. Reportedly, theoperator has experienced a problem with one ofthe vessel's waterjets. Four daily round trips have been scheduled untilApril 30, when a fifth will be added during thepeak season. The announced trip time is 25minutes. Pitiusa Nova is far from the first Norwegian builtcatamaran to be introduced in the area, althoughit is the first which carries cars. Already there areseven catamarans in service with three other

BALEARIC ISLANDS OPERATOR ACQUIRES FRENCH CAR / PASSENGER CATAMARAN

Westamarin W5000CFAline, seen here departingSt. Malo for Jersey inMarch 2004, has beensold to Spanish operatorIscomar Ferrys

/ MATT DAVIES photo

CLASSIC FAST FERRIES 4 / 2005 33

companies, built by WestermoenHydrofoil/Westamarin and Fjellstrand.Baleária and Trasmapi jointly operate afleet of four Westamaran 95s and twoFjellstrand 38.8m catamarans andMediterranea Pitiusa has a single W95.Yet another W95 is run by Cape Balearbetween Menorca and Mallorca. Builtbetween 1974 and 1987 all these wereacquired from other operators. Also, last summer Baleária introduced aMarinteknik 63m vehicle/passenger fastcatamaran built in 2004 in Singapore byMarinteknik Shipbuilders. In addition thereare several medium-speed vessels and atleast one conventional ferry on the route. Pitiusa Nova is unique in that it was

Pitiusa Nova at St. Malo shortly before its delivery trip to Spain last month / ISCOMAR FERRYS photo

originally launched as a cargo catamaran,in 1987, for transport of refrigerated fishbetween Iceland and the Netherlands.However, unlike a smaller cargocatamaran built by Fjellstrand anddelivered to the same operator theprevious year, Anne Lise featured windowson both decks as plans were it would actas a fast ferry on times when it was notbeing used for transportation of cod. The idea with cargo catamarans did notbecome a success story and the nearly50m long W5000L was laid up in Norwayfor several years until transferred toOskarshamns Varv in 1992 where it wasextensively rebuilt into a car/passengerfast ferry. The work carried out by the

Swedish yard included the adding of asecond passenger saloon on top of theoriginal and repowering with four dieselsand waterjets in place of the original twomain engines and controllable pitchpropellers. On completion the catamaranentered service with Brudey Frèresbetween Guadeloupe and Martinique inthe Caribbean as Madikera in 1993. Two years later the catamaran was backin Europe. Having been acquired by ElbaFerries and renamed Elba Express it wasintroduced between Piombino and theisland of Elba in north-west Italy. It waspurchased by Emeraude Lines in 1999 andrenamed Solidor 4 entered servicebetween France and the Channel Islands.More recently it was again remamed Aline.An 18-month charter of the vessel toL'Express du Senegal fell through in the fallof 2003 and it had not seen much servicesince. Founded in 1979, Iscomar – IsleñaMaritima de Contenedores – wasoriginally involved in cargo shippingbetween mainland Spain and the Balearicsas well as within the islands. Nine years onthe company decided to expand itsbusiness by starting a conventional ferryservice between Alcudia, Mallorca andCiutadella, Menorca trading as IscomarFerrys. In 2002 two more routes wereadded linking Barcelona and Denia on theIberian peninsula and Palma de Mallorcaand Ibiza. A third route between Valenciaand Palma has since been added. n

L E F T : Aline drydocked at St. Maloearlier this year / NICOLAS LEVY photo


An Auto Express 85 car/passenger cata-maran for Hellenic Seaways, Highspeed 5,was launched at the Austal shipyard inHenderson, Western Australia on March20. The 810-passenger, 154-car vessel isthe fifth vehicle fast ferry delivered by theyard to the Greek operator, which wasuntil recently known as Hellas FlyingDolphins. Scheduled to embark on its delivery tripnext month, the custom designed High-speed 5 will enter service on June 17 on arelatively long route linking Piraeus andChania in Crete, inaugurated last monthby Auto Express 92 Highspeed 4 delivered

in 2000. One daily (except Tuesday)round trip is currently operated byHighspeed 4, departing Piraeus at 1545and arriving in Crete at 2030. Returningat 2100 the catamaran arrives back inPiraues at 0145. The new Highspeed 5 has a lenght over-all of 85m and moulded beam of 21.2m.Its propulsion system consists of fourCaterpillar 3618 diesels each rated at7,200 kW at 1,050 rpm and driving aKamewa 112 SII waterjet via a ReintjesVLJ 6831 gearbox. The vessel will becapable of cruising at 39 knots whenloaded.

In addition to Highspeed 5, currentlyunder construction at the Austal yards inWestern Australia and the US are oneAuto Express 67 for Virtu Ferries inMalta, one Auto Express 105 for HawaiiSuperferry and two 45m catamarans, oneof which in a passenger-only configuration,for L'Express des Îles in Guadeloupe. Thefirst 126m Trimaran for Spanish operatorFred. Olsen Express, Benchijigua Express, isexpected to depart for the Canary Islandsshortly. Also on order are twelve navalpatrol boats for the Royal Australian Navyand a 38m research/pleasure craft for aprivate owner. n

AUSTAL LAUNCHES AUTO EXPRESS 85 CATAMARAN

R I G H T : AutoExpress 92 Highspeed 4receiving the final touch

before the 2005 season inPiraues last month

/ NIKOS THRYLOS photo

T O P : Auto Express 85Highspeed 5 for HellenicSeaways in Greece waslaunched by Austal inWestern Australia onMarch 20/ AUSTAL photo


A Westamaran 3000 catamaran built in1986, Kyst Express, has entered servicebetween Askøy and Bergen. The shortcommuter route was taken over byBergen Nordhordland Rutelag from HSDon April 1, and Kyst Express is replacing a211-seat Båtservice SeaLord 32catamaran, Beinveien, originally deliveredto Rutelaget Askøy–Bergen in 1992. Kyst Express is a temporary measurehowever as BNR will be taking delivery ofa 25.7m catamaran especially designed forthe route from Oma Baatbyggeri in July. The W3000 was the second of the typebuilt by Westamarin in Mandal and

originally delivered to Det StavangerskeD/S as Fjordsol for the Sauda–Stavangerroute. Initially the design was known asW88, referring to the overall length infeet rather than meters. Both W3000sfeature a significantly different styling,particularly evident on the superstructure,compared to the earlier Westamarans ofthe W86, W95 and W100 designs. In 1990 Rogaland Trafikk took over thefleet and routes of DSD, and the followingyear the 191-seat W3000 was renamedRyfylke pending the delivery of a newFjordsol. Also in 1991 the vessel wasbriefly operated elsewhere in Scandinavia

as it was leased to Bornholmer Fartenand, temporarily dubbed Farten 1, wasintroduced on two routes in the Balticbetween Simrishamn, Sweden and theDanish island of Bornholm. The catamaran was then loyal to theRogaland district for nine more years untilbeing transferred to northern Norwayand the Nordlandsekspressen service in2000, having been acquired by OVDS inNarvik and renamed Tjeldøy. It made the reverse journey earlier thisyear when it was purchased by BNR andrenamed Kyst Express. n

WESTAMARAN 3OOO TRANSFERRED TO COMMUTER ROUTE

The Westamaran3000 on arrival in

Bergen fromnorthern Norway in

February, still inOVDS livery and

named Tjeldøy/ YNGVE SMØRDAL

photo

Båtservice SeaLord 32catamaran Beinveien,delivered in late 1992,was in service on theshort route betweenAskøy and Bergen formore than twelve years.It is expected to be re-deployed elsewhere inHSD's operating areain the Sunnhordlanddistrict/ ERIK ASK photo


Brødrene Aa in Hyen, Norway whichdevelops and builds fast ferries of glassfibre and carbon fibre sandwich construct,among other things, was the winner of theaward in the maritime sector at the JECComposites Awards held in Paris on April5. A total of sixty-five companies wereinitially evaluated by JEC, with BrødreneAa making it to the final being among thethree nominees. Meanwhile, Rygerfjord, the 20m carbonfibre catamaran built by the yard in 2004and delivered to Norwegian operator L.Rødne & Sønner, has arrived in Swedenwhere it is currently being tested byStyrsöbolaget on routes linking centralGothenburg and the south and northarchipelagos as well as on inter-islandservices. Styrsöbolaget is in the process ofreplacing one of its conventional vesselsand is looking into the possibility ofacquiring a fast ferry in order to reducetrip times, particularly for those travelingbetween the southern islands of Vrångöand Donsö and Saltholmen on themainland. An extensive tram routenetwork connects at Saltholmen. The trial service, which is supported byEU under Carpe Mare, by the 97-seatRygerfjord ends on April 14. Read more about Rygerfjord in theMarch CFF, page 3. n

A B O V E : The 20m carbon fibre catamaran Rygerfjord which is normally to be foundin the Stavanger area in Norway is currently in Sweden for trial services around

Gothenburg and is seen here at Lilla Bommen in central Gothenburg on March 19/ JOHAN BONANDER photo

B E L O W : There are 97 seats on Rygerfjord. For the Gothenburg service a highercapacity variant would be required in order to meet with the demand during rush hours/ JOHAN BONANDER photo

AND THE WINNER IS . . .


Hoverspeed's seasonal Dover–CalaisSeaCat service was resumed on March 17.For the 2005 season the operator hasboosted its capacity by allocating two Incat81m wavepiercing catamarans, sistervessels Diamant and Rapide, to the route.Last year the classic cross-Channel routewas served by an Incat 81m and a smaller74m wavepiercer during the shoulderperiods with another 74m joining induring July–August. Prior to 2004Hoverspeed operated year-round on the

Dover–Calais route. Built in 1996 and originally namedHolyman Express and Condor 12, the twoSeaCats have undergone a complete refitover the winter and the strikinglydistinctive Union flag livery that Diamantreceived already last year has beenrepeated on Rapide. Each vessel has acapacity of 650 passengers and 150vehicles and travels at 38 knots. Crossingtime is just under one hour berth-to-berth. During the peak season up to nine

daily return sailings will be offered. Says Hoverspeed, "We give ourcustomers excellent value for moneywithout compromising on quality.Hoverspeed has dedicated terminals inDover and Calais hoverports socustomers can avoid the frustrating,lenghty queues associated with travelingon traditional ferries, with the extrabenefit of being able to check in just halfan hour before sailing." n

UNION FLAG SISTERS ON THE DOVER-CALAIS ROUTE

The secondRodriquez Foilmasterhydrofoil ordered in2003 by the Tirreniagroup, Calypso, waslaunched in Messinaon March 28. It willenter service withSiremar in Sicilyalongside Antioco,which was launchedat the end ofFebruary, and theoperator's otherFoilmaster Tiziano,delivered elevenyears ago. Four moreFoilmasters are underconstruction forTirrenia at theMessina yard.

ENZO ANNUARIO photo

Incat 81m wavepiercing catamarans Diamant and Rapide are operating between Dover and Calais this season / HOVERSPEED photo


Two Katran hydrofoils previouslyoperated on Lake Ontario in Canada,Seaflight I and Seaflight II, are available forpurchase, reports the Volga ShipyardMoscow office. The vessels were built by Volga inNovgorod in 1995–96 and originallyentered service in the Caribbean betweenSt. Thomas and St. Croix with VirginHydrofoil Services. In 1997–98 the hydrofoils weretransferred to Lake Ontario having beenacquired by Hydrofoil Lake Jet Lines, anewly formed Toronto-based company.Having obtained the necessarycertification and permission by TransportCanada to operate on the Lake, Seaflight Iand Seaflight II entered service betweencentral Toronto and Queenstown, closeto the famous Niagara Falls, in May 1998. The vessels were last operated bySeaflight Hydrofoils on Lake Ontarioduring the 2003 season and has been laidup ashore at Toronto since, where theymay be inspected. They are currentlyowned by Gowesh Canada Inc..Both craft are Canadian-flagged andclassified by RINA and reported to be in

working condition with no special repairsbeing required and are ready for deliverywithin one month upon purchase. The Katran, a modified version of thewell-known Kolkhida, has a length overallof 34.5m, max width of 10.3m and draftwhen hullborne of 3.5m and foilborne of1.9m. The main engines in Seaflight I are apair of MTU 12V 396 TE74 dieselswhereas Seaflight II has two MTU 12V396 TC82s. Passenger capacity is 140 and150 respectively, and both vessels have a

service speed of 34 knots. More details are available from theVolga Shipyard, attention of Mr.Vyacheslav Fedorov at: [email protected]. Two more Katrans likewise built byVolga and originally delivered foropertaion in the US Virgin Islands andlater transferred to Lake Ontario, SeaflightIII and Seaflight IV, were sold three yearsago to Slovenian operator Top-Line andare currently in service in Croatia. n

CANADIAN KATRANS ON THE MARKET

C E N T E R : Both Katrans have been laid upashore in a shipyard in Toronto for the past

couple of years / JAN VAN DER DOE photoI N S E T S : Close-up of the forward foil on

the Katran design (left) and the main passengersaloon looking aft (bottom)

/ VOLGA SHIPYARD photo, both


On a related note, not previouslyreported on in CFF is the delivery by theVolga Shipyard in Novgorod of twoLastochka hydrofoils for a Chineseoperator in 2004. The vessels, LastochkaM–1 and Lastochka M–2, have enteredservice on the Yangtze River, to and fromthe city of Yichang in the Hubei region. The Lastochka M is very similar in linesand design to the Voskhod but is poweredby two main engines and propellers

as opposed to one on the Voskhod. Theservice speed of 45 knots in calmconditions is considerably higher too. Thehull and superstructure are a corrosion-resistant aluminum-magnesium alloy andthe foils are of stainless steel. An experimental craft, then designatedLastochka (without the M), appeared inthe early 1980s whereas the firstVoskhod was launched in 1974. The Lastochka M, which is designed for

operation on inland waterways, has alength overall of 29.97m, width of 7.13mand draft of 2.20m while hullborne and1.15m while foilborne. The main enginesare a pair of twelve-cylinder Zvezda M470diesels each with a continous output of990 kW. In its standard configuration the hydro-foil seats 75 passengers in two saloons,but up to 86 passengers can beaccomodated in a commuter version. n

... AND LASTOCHKA HYDROFOILS ENTER SERVICE IN CHINAOne of the pair of Chinese vessels, Lastochka M-2, on pre-delivery trials in Nizhny Novgorod on the River Volga / VOLGA SHIPYARD photo

The main saloon on theChinese craft lookingforward. Colors andmaterials are nicelymatched/ VOLGA SHIPYARD photo


NOTTURNOa l i t t l e i t a l i a n n i g h t m u s i c

Nightphotographyis fun, magicaland easy – and unusual. The hardest partprobably is pullingyourself togethergetting out in thedark once you'vecome home fromanother day at thesaltmine and arerelaxing before theTV or your computer.Particularly if you'renot fortunate enoughto live in a warm place,like the photographerswho took these nice nightshots, Enzo Annuarioand Daniele Alletto.

However, you will find that it is worth while. Whether an analog or a digital camera, most will take decent night shots, except for those that have a built-in flash that will be activated automatically and goes off as soon as there's a cloud in the sky. Flash should definitely be avoided, unless you go for a certain effect. Reversly, it is recommended you use a tripod or other support for your camera or your pictures most probably will be blurry. Yes, some have a very steady hand, some think they do but most don't. Some digital cameras have a special night setting, but sometimes shooting just using the auto mode is as good – or better. It is all a matter of taste. Consult the manual that came with the camera. It will give you all the basic facts. But only you can take it to the next level. n

DANIELE ALLETTO photo




ENZO ANNUARIO photo


ARTISTOFTHEMONTH

Slightly modifying the title ofthe back cover this month,

Daniele Alletto who took someof the night shots on the

previous pages also can writeartist on his card.

His hydrofoil art work so farincludes Foilmasters Ettore Mand Natalie M , both of which

are frequently visiting theisland in which Daniele lives.

The two oil on canvaspaintings of

Ettore M have been given asgifts to Ustica Lines crewmembers whereas that of

Natalie M (left in the above photo)graces the wall in Daniele'sstudy. Perhaps until a buyer

comes along?...

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