Guadeloupe orders repeat Austal ferries
The two newly ordered vessels will be similar to the Silver Express and Gold Express delivered in 2005
Guadeloupe-based ferry operator L’Express des Iles has selected Austal to design and construct two 47m high speed catamaran ferries.
The order consists of one vehicle-passenger ferry and one passenger ferry, and is the company’s third contract with Austal since 1997. The newbuildings are intended to operate from Guadeloupe to the Caribbean islands of Marie Galante, Dominique, Martinique and St Lucia, where they will provide an important inter-island link for tourism and trade.
The vehicle ferry will have the capacity for 364 passengers and 10 cars. The passenger ferry will have the capacity for 437 passengers. Both vessels will have a maximum speed of more than 32 knots and are designed to also carry cargo.
L’Express des Iles chairman Roland Bellemare said the company’s experience with earlier Austal ferries had been the main factor when selecting the supplier for the new vessels. “The build quality and performance of our previous Austal deliveries has been outstanding. This, along with the high level of customer support we have received over more than a decade, meant Austal was the logical choice,” Bellemare said.
L’Express des Iles currently operates Austal-built ferries Gold Express and Silver Express, which were delivered in 2005. Compared to the four-engine arrangements of L’Express des Iles’ previous deliveries, the new vessels will each be powered by two MTU 16V4000 M71 diesel engines driving Kamewa 71 SIII waterjets. This combines with Austal’s expertise in producing durable, lightweight and efficient structures to deliver economical operation with reduced environmental impact, while still providing commuters with short transit times, comfort and service reliability.
The new vessels will be built at Austal’s Western Australian facility and are scheduled for delivery in mid-2011.
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