RODRIQUEZ - Cantieri Navali

25 November 2003

RODRIQUEZ CANTIERI NAVALI HAS SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH BAHAMAS FAST FERRIES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A 40 METER ALL ALUMINIUM CATAMARAN

After many months of detailed discussions, Rodriquez Cantieri Navali will build one forty meter catamaran ferry, referred to as the CityCat 40, for service in the Bahamas.

Bahamas Fast Ferries (www.bahamasferries.com) is a leading Caribbean operator of both conventional and fast ferries and is based in Nassau. The as yet un-named CityCat 40 will augment their existing services currently provided by the 32 meter fast ferry “Bo Hengy”.
For Bahamas Fast Ferries, the CityCat 40 (yard number 313) has been optimised for the local service. With a relatively modest passenger capacity of 269, the vessel has been designed with flexibility in mind.
The bulk of the passengers, 205 in fact, will be seated on the main deck in a mix of stand alone seating and seating around tables. There will also be seating for 64 passengers on the upper deck but these will only be protected by a roof for those who prefer to enjoy the wind in their face feel as the vessel cruises through the islands. The CityCat 40 is expected to be in service by January 2005.
At the contract signing ceremony, Peter Vlasov of Bahamas Fast Ferries stated “This latest addition to our fleet has been long anticipated and will add much needed flexibility and reliability to our operations. I was very impressed with Rodriquez’s focus on our needs and willingness to adapt the vessel to meet our exact requirements and as a leader in the field of fast transport, I have full confidence in their ability to deliver a quality product”.
A great emphasis was made on the need for a simple yet highly reliable propulsion system. Rodriquez responded by designing a four engine plant based on the MTU 12V183TE72 with each engine attached to a dedicated steerable and reversible water jet. By using such a relatively small engine (610 kW each), the cost of overhauls and maintenance is greatly reduced and should the need arise to take one engine out of service, there are still three engines available to maintain the operations. Waterjets were chosen over propellers for the 27 knot service speed due to the relatively shallow waters that are encountered in the Bahamas.
Rodriquez Cantieri Navali is one of the largest privately held Italian shipyards. This latest contract for Bahamas Fast Ferries comes on the heels of several others and is further testament to Rodriquez’s leading position in this shipbuilding segment.