Austal Limited’s subsidiary Austal Vietnam has delivered a new high-speed catamaran to the Degage Group of French Polynesia. The 66m Apetahi Express (Austal Hull 425) completed a series of sea trials off the coast of Vung Tau in May 2023 prior to her maiden (delivery) voyage to French Polynesia.
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.
The new Austal Passenger Express 66 catamaran features a length overall (LOA) of 66.4m, beam of 15.2m and draft of 1.8m. 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 Motion Control System (including active interceptors and T-foils) and the latest Marinelink-Essentials programme, the new ferry achieved a speed of 38 knots during sea trials.
