Ferry Sails For Spain

Incat Tasmania’s newest 111-m ferry has been handed over to her Spanish operator, Naviera Armas and departed Hobart, Australia, for Spain.

The ship, named Volcan de Tagoro (Incat Hull 091) is powered by four MAN 20V diesel engines driving Wärtsilä waterjets. The vessel achieved over 42 knots with 600 tonnes deadweight during speed trials, achieving her contract speed and the loaded service speed required for the Spanish routes, the company said.

Volcan de Tagoro has capacity of 1200, including crew, and the vehicle deck allows for almost 600 TLM (595 truck lane m) plus 219 cars, or in car-only mode it can accommodate 401 cars. Passenger spaces are divided into three classes, First Class, Business Class and Economy, each area offering bars and food service areas.  A gift shop and children’s play are also located on board.

“Our team at Incat have been busy, this is the second large vessel delivered in just six months,” said Incat CEO Tim Burnell. “We have been building 091 for two years so it was great to see many staff show family members through the ship last week, clearly proud of their workmanship on the vessel. We are seeing an unprecedented level of interest in both large and small aluminum ferries at present and have expectation of operating at maximum capacity for a number of years. The contract, in excess of A$100 million to Incat has also provided significant income to suppliers and sub-contractors.”

The delivery will be via Auckland, across the Pacific Ocean to Tahiti and the Panama Canal before crossing the Atlantic on her way to Spain. The Volcan de Tagoro crew arrived in Tasmania late June to familiarise themselves with the ship and participate in the sea trials.

Naviera Armas SA will operate the vessel on Spanish routes, including the Canary Islands.  The company has an extensive fleet of vessels, and Volcan de Tagoro will be the fifth Incat vessel operating in the Armas fleet, however it is their first newbuild from Incat Tasmania, having obtained their other Incat built vessels on the second-hand market.

Incat’s Prince of Wales Bay shipyard is continuing construction of three large vessels plus a 35‑m commuter ferry, the Geelong Flyer, which will operate between Geelong and Docklands in Melbourne from early December.

The next export vessel is a 100-m ship for Trinidad and Tobago to be completed in 2020, followed by another 111-m ship for a European operator in 2021, the design team at Incat and Revolution Design are working on the design drawings for a 130‑m catamaran for service between Argentina and Uruguay, that will be the largest ship Incat has contracted.