Australian Shipbuilder Incat Tasmania celebrated the delivery of its latest large fast ferry, a 100m catamaran for the government of Trinidad and Tobago’s National Infrastructure Development Company (NIDCO). Buccoo Reef, Incat hull 094, departed Hobart for Port of Spain on 21 January 2021.
Buccoo Reef is another of Incat Tasmania’s new generation fast ferries fully designed and built in Australia. Buccoo Reef benefits from enhanced sea-keeping qualities being completed with the recently introduced centre bow arrangement.
Incat Tasmania Chief Executive Officer Tim Burnell says “As islanders ourselves we fully appreciate the critical importance of maintaining comfortable and reliable year-round passenger and freight services.
“Incat has invested in extensive tank testing and studies using the latest computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and hydrodynamic free-running model test techniques.
“The result is the new arrangement to Incat’s signature centre bow profile, ensuring Buccoo Reef is truly fit for purpose on year-round ferry operations on what is an exposed seabridge between Trinidad and Tobago.”
“The largest high speed ferry designed and built for Trinidad and Tobago, Buccoo Reef not only delivers enhanced sea keeping but also increased reliability, passenger comfort, capacity and economy with less operational downtime due to adverse weather conditions.”
Buccoo Reef has been constructed in Hobart utilising renewable green energy. “100% of the energy consumed in the manufacture of Buccoo Reef was derived from locally generated renewable green energy sources consisting of hydro, wind and solar,” says Tim Burnell.
Flexible rubber mounts between the superstructure and hull will ensure passengers travelling on Buccoo Reef will enjoy an atmosphere of comfort and relaxation afforded by quiet and vibration-free lounges.
The vessel can accommodate 995 passengers and crew, with 175 truck lane metres plus 182 cars, or space for a total 239 cars on the main and mezzanine decks.
On contractual sea trials off the southern coast of Tasmania Buccoo Reef achieved maximum speeds in excess of 45 knots.
Buccoo Reef is the 48th large commercial fast ferry built by Incat Tasmania and the ninth in excess of 7,000 gross tonnes delivered in the past 13 years.
The ship delivery voyage to Trindad and Tobago is anticipated to take approximately a month via Tahiti and the Panama Canal.
Buccoo Reef is named after the largest coral reef in Tobago which was designated as a marine park in 1973. Its massive proportions contain a reef system of five reef flats that are separated by deep channels.
