High-Speed Ferry Issues for Operators and Designers

Abstract

The hottest sector of the marine industry today is the transportation of people, vehicles and goods by high speed-ferry. While some conventional ferry operators are expanding into the high-speed market, many new ferry services are being proposed by entrepreneurs who are often not familiar with the business of designing, building and operating ships. This paper discusses some issues often overlooked when planning a high-speed ferry service or put off until operation is about to begin. Much of this information should also be useful to naval architects and marine engineers who need to become more aware of the overall planning process for high-speed ferry operations. These issues include political and social influences, local environmental conditions, ferry design, relationships with ferry builders, noise, stack emissions and wake wash.