In February 2007, South Australian ferry operator SEA SA launched the Seascape 1. The final fit out of shore ramps and sea trials took place in late February before the vessel was sailed 5,000 miles to Spencer Bay to be delivered in late March 2007. The vessel came into service on 3 April 2007.
SEA SA is owned and operated by the designers of the ship, Sea Transport Solutions.
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The Seascape 1 (hull 1023) will replace the existing Sea Way ferry (built in 2003) on the crossing between Wallaroo (Yorke Peninsula) and Lucky Bay (Eyre Peninsula near Cowell) in the Spencer Gulf.
The Seascape 1 is five metres longer than the Sea Way and has capacity for 22 more cars and 40 more passengers. The new ferry also allows true drive on/drive off capability without turning around.
CONSTRUCTION
The Seascape 1 is a 50m, all-aluminium (hull, deck and superstructure) Ropax ferry constructed at Cebu, the Philippines, by FBMA Marine.
The Seascape 1 was designed by Queensland’s Sea Transport Solutions to meet the route and infrastructure requirements.
The twin hull ferry is 50.6m long with a 16.5m beam and a loaded draft of 1.6m. It has a depth of 3.2m and a displacement of 170t deadweight (310t fully loaded).
The Seascape 1 can carry 250 passengers and 65 cars or four trucks (68t, 25m B Doubles) and cruises at a speed of 15kt with a maximum speed of 18kt (cars and trucks are interchangeable depending on demand and loading).
The Seascape 1 has an adjustable car deck for greater capacity and has full passenger amenities including a dolphin viewing platform on the bow. The accommodation has fabric Beurteaux seating with tables for 120 passengers and also incorporates a number of plasma screen television monitors.
Passenger accommodation is only on the starboard side to allow the carrying of high trucks along the centre lane on the vehicle deck. The vessel can fit 53 cars on the main deck and 12 cars on the mezzanine deck.
The ship is powered by 4 x KTA 19M3 447.4 kW Cummins diesel engines operating at 1,800 rpm (propulsion 4 x 2205 steel, S/W and grease lubricated aluminium steel). The gear box is a reverse reduction Dong I DMT26H gearbox with a ratio of 2.5:1. Auxilliary engines are two Cummins 65 KVA+ and the side thrusters are Cummins Bow Thrust PM.
FUTURE VESSEL
The Seascape 1 is the 24th ROPAX catamaran of this hull form to be designed by Sea Transport Solutions. At the start of 2008, another new ferry – the 61m Sea Spirit – should be delivered to Wallaroo. This vessel will be able to carry 80 cars or a combination of up to 12 semi-trailers and 40 cars, together with 350 passengers.
FERRY TERMINAL
The ferry service between Lucky Bay and Wallaroo has been set up to reduce the road distance between Adelaide and Port Lincoln by 350km. The service started in December 2006 with the aim of reducing road accidents, noise and air pollution (733t of CO2 for the ferry as opposed to 25,000t of CO2 from cars).
The ferry terminal buildings at Lucky Bay and Wallaroo were completed by August 2007 with specialised shore ramps for easy loading of trucks and cars.
SEA SA expects to carry 120,000 passengers and 40,000 cars per annum during the period 2007–2008 and by 2010 to be carrying 250,000 passengers and 80,000 cars per annum.
