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Croatian deal for Yarmouth Ferries
Wightlink has booked a ticket to Croatia for a shipyard to build its two new Yarmouth to Lymington ferries.
The ferries, set to cost about £10 million, are due on the route before the summer season of 2008.
The new design came from a working party made up of staff from the route, managers and representatives from Hart Fenton Naval Architects.
Staff open days were held in Lymington and Portsmouth where copies of the plans for the new ferries were displayed, together with models of the proposed new design and the existing ships.
Wightlink said the models clearly demonstrated the flexibility of the new vessels to carry a greater and more varied traffic load within a footprint that was only marginally larger than the current vessels and with the same draft.
Lymington Harbour Commissioners, who have resisted much bigger ferries on the route because of its environmentally sensitive nature, have agreed the new boats, which are 62.4 metres long and carry 360 passengers and 65 cars with a service speed of ten to 12 knots. The capacity is up to 20 cars greater than the current maximum, through the introduction of a mezzanine deck.
The current ferries, Cenwulf, Cenred and Caedmon, are now 30 years old and Wightlink has said it has not yet been decided which one of the three will remain.
The ferry company said tenders were sought throughout August from a number of British and European shipyards, which had the capacity to build the new ships and were able to offer delivery in the first half of 2008.
A Wightlink spokesman said: "Following visits to yards throughout September and, as a result of further technical discussions, it is expected an order will be placed with a Croatian yard. Further information on the specific yard will be released once letters of intent have been signed."
Wightlink is the largest independent ferry and port operator in the UK with 11 ferries on its three routes carrying 5.7 million passengers in 2005, 1.2 million cars,160,000 trucks and 19,000 coaches. The company employs 600 staff.
Wightlink has been subject to recent criticism over price increases since the company was bought by Australian investment bank Macquarie.
The ferry company said the new vessels underlined its commitment to the Island and funds had been found to carry out the investment through company re-financing.
The ferries, set to cost about £10 million, are due on the route before the summer season of 2008.
The new design came from a working party made up of staff from the route, managers and representatives from Hart Fenton Naval Architects.
Staff open days were held in Lymington and Portsmouth where copies of the plans for the new ferries were displayed, together with models of the proposed new design and the existing ships.
Wightlink said the models clearly demonstrated the flexibility of the new vessels to carry a greater and more varied traffic load within a footprint that was only marginally larger than the current vessels and with the same draft.
Lymington Harbour Commissioners, who have resisted much bigger ferries on the route because of its environmentally sensitive nature, have agreed the new boats, which are 62.4 metres long and carry 360 passengers and 65 cars with a service speed of ten to 12 knots. The capacity is up to 20 cars greater than the current maximum, through the introduction of a mezzanine deck.
The current ferries, Cenwulf, Cenred and Caedmon, are now 30 years old and Wightlink has said it has not yet been decided which one of the three will remain.
The ferry company said tenders were sought throughout August from a number of British and European shipyards, which had the capacity to build the new ships and were able to offer delivery in the first half of 2008.
A Wightlink spokesman said: "Following visits to yards throughout September and, as a result of further technical discussions, it is expected an order will be placed with a Croatian yard. Further information on the specific yard will be released once letters of intent have been signed."
Wightlink is the largest independent ferry and port operator in the UK with 11 ferries on its three routes carrying 5.7 million passengers in 2005, 1.2 million cars,160,000 trucks and 19,000 coaches. The company employs 600 staff.
Wightlink has been subject to recent criticism over price increases since the company was bought by Australian investment bank Macquarie.
The ferry company said the new vessels underlined its commitment to the Island and funds had been found to carry out the investment through company re-financing.
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