AUSTAL has delivered the 66-metre Apetahi Express (Austal Hull 425) to the Degage Group after completing sea trials in May.
The vessel is now preparing for its delivery voyage to French Polynesia from Austal’s Vietnam facility.
Austal chief executive officer Paddy Gregg congratulated the Degage Group on the delivery of their latest catamaran, the sixth commercial ferry designed and constructed by Austal.
“Our warmest congratulations to the Degage Group on the delivery of this latest addition to their growing fleet. Austal has now designed and constructed six commercial ferries for the Degage Group, operating throughout French Polynesia and we’re thankful for their continued business and support,” Mr Gregg said.
“Apetahi Express was customised by Austal’s Australian and Vietnamese design and engineering teams to meet the exacting demands of inter-island transport, and this new catamaran delivers outstanding new capability; with multiple indoor and outdoor decks for passengers and a large cargo space accommodating up to 16 tonnes of cargo.”
Austal Vietnam President Mark Dummett thanked the Austal teams for their efforts over the past two years, delivering the third vessel constructed by the Vung Tau shipyard since opening in 2018.
“This has been a fantastic collaboration between Austal and the team from The Degage Group which has resulted in a superb vessel that has exceeded speed performance targets,” he said.
“Both teams have worked skilfully and efficiently to deliver Apetahi Express and our customer is very pleased with the latest addition to their fleet. My thanks to all involved for their outstanding efforts and expertise delivering Apetahi Express.”
The new Austal Passenger Express 66 catamaran features a length overall of 66.4 metres, beam of 15.2 metres and draft of 1.8 metres.
Over two passenger decks, the vessel can accommodate 574 passengers, with an additional 80 seats available on an external sun deck.
Crew accommodation includes seven two-berth cabins and two single-berth cabins. The vessel has four passenger access ramps and can carry up to 16 tonnes of cargo loaded via two cranes.
Fitted with four diesel engines and four waterjets, as well as Austal’s renowned Motion Control System (including active interceptors and T-foils) and the latest MARINELINK-Essentials program, the new ferry achieved a speed of 38 knots during sea trials.
During the design of Apetahi Express, the Degage Group placed an emphasis on reducing carbon dioxide emissions and improving fuel efficiency. By optimising the aluminium hull design, Austal said it achieved a significant reduction in resistance that not only lowers fuel consumption but also improves seakeeping and delivers a more comfortable ride for passengers.
Austal has previously designed and built five vessels for the Degage Group, comprising two 69-metre monohull cruise ships (Austal Hulls 172 and 173), a 56-metre vehicle passenger catamaran ferry (Austal Hull 266), an 80-metre vehicle passenger catamaran ferry (Austal Hull 201) and a 49-metre vehicle passenger ferry (Hull 421).
Following the delivery voyage, the new ferry is anticipated to commence operations between Pape’ete (Tahiti) and Vaitape (Bora Bora) in French Polynesia in July 2023.
