The £6 million contract marks first time a fast ferry has been built on Isle of Wight since 2000
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Red Funnel has contracted Isle of Wight-based Shemara Refit to construct a £6 million fast ferry, marking the first time this type of vessel has been built on the island for 15 years.
After receiving tenders from shipyards around the world, the UK ferry operator placed an order for a 40m high-speed catamaran with Shemara Refit, which promised a competitively priced vessel that fulfilled the design brief.
“From the outset, Shemara Refit shared our vision to bring fast ferry construction back to the UK and particularly to Cowes on the Isle of Wight where the specialist aluminium fabrication skills and yard facilities still exist,” said Kevin George, CEO of Red Funnel. “In the competitive world of ship building, it is fantastic news that Red Jet 6 will be built for the Isle of Wight, on the Isle of Wight, by the Isle of Wight.”
Due to be delivered in summer 2016, Red Jet 6 will help to create around 40-50 new positions at Shemara Refit’s yard Venture Quays, as well as other jobs at various local supply companies. In addition, the Isle of Wight Council’s economic development team and other local partners will work closely with Shemara Refit to support the construction process and any future newbuild projects.
“Wherever possible, these jobs will go to islanders who have the right skills,” said Peter Morton, managing director of Shemara Refit. “We very much look forward to the re-birth of high speed passenger shipbuilding by producing a technically advanced vessel which we believe will have the potential for further orders in the future. As a consequence we will be taking on a number of apprentices to provide the skills for the future.”
Red Jet 6 will be Red Funnel’s largest and most environmentally friendly high-speed vessel to date and will feature a vinyl-coated superstructure and Teflon-coated aluminium hull to reduce fuel consumption and drag in the water. These features will also help the company to maintain its ISO 1400:1 accreditation.
Like her sister ships, Red Jet 6 will use waterjets instead propellers to aid manoeuvrability, but in a break with tradition, she will be fitted with four MTU 2000 series diesel engines, rather than two. This configuration will enable the vessel to save 11% more fuel than Red Jet 4 and 30% more than Red Jet 5, and will also ensure she is compliant with the International Maritime Organization’s Tier II emission regulations.
Designed to carry 275 passengers and 22 bicycles, Red Jet 6 will be fitted with leather seats, an advanced air-handling system, a new high bandwidth ship-to-shore wifi system, which will be free for customers; and a travel information system that will provide real-time updates about connecting bus, coach, train and aeroplane services.
Red Funnel customers and members of the public have been invited to submit suggestions for additional onboard features, while local students who are interested in a career in the manufacturing or engineering industry will be tasked with developing some of the solutions.
“Red Jet 6 will serve the Isle of Wight for many years and we believe that it is important for as many young islanders to be involved as possible,” said George. “We will be inviting local schools to participate in mini projects and will be seeking to develop our existing support with the Royal Yacht Squadron Isle of Wight Foundation to ensure apprenticeship opportunities are open to young islanders.”