Pascal Paoli

SNCM's fast car ferries serve the busy routes between France and the Mediterranean island of Corsica. The summer months are peak season for the tourist trade, which goes together with considerable freight traffic. However, the main port of Bastia imposes length and draft restrictions. To allow for high speed and deadweight, combined with passenger comfort, a special hull form is to be developed.

The combination of a high deadweight, 24 knots speed and the Corsican port restrictions led to the exceptional breadth of 30.5 meters. Two trailer decks, each 8 lanes wide, plus a garage in the ship's lower hold provide 2300 lane meters in a vessel with an overall length of 175 meters. To offer the tourist customers a safe and clean environment, a separate garage for cars is created with direct access to the passenger accommodation. For the same reason, very stringent noise and vibration requirements are applied.

A special hull form and propulsion arrangement was developed by the yard, resulting in a fast, quiet ship with a large payload capacity. The passenger accommodation is smaller than on the company's car ferries but gives the same quality, e.g. by making the passenger cabins identical. An appealing exterior styling was developed for this versatile vessel.

IHC Merwede Offshore & Marine
Rivierdijk 586, 3371 ED Hardinxveld-Giessendam
P.O. Box 5, 3370 AA Hardinxveld-Giessendam
The Netherlands

T +31 184 677 300
F +31 184 677 301
shipyard.mws@spam-preventionihcmerwede.com