AWARDS 2025 | Best Small Ferry – 18m Catamaran Ferry – SeaCat Ships

This catamaran ferry recently delivered by SeaCat Ships is a custom-designed, aluminium-hulled vessel tailored for high-frequency inter-island and coastal passenger services in West Africa.

A combination of performance and economy enables multiple round trips daily, supporting scheduled services in regions with limited air connectivity and challenging land infrastructure.

Key features include its proven semi-displacement hull form, optimised for ride comfort and stability in moderate-to-rough sea states, alongside exceptional durability for heavy daily operations with low maintenance requirements.

"What makes this vessel special is how well-balanced it is," Paul Birgan, Managing Director of SeaCat Ships told Baird Maritime. "It’s not a concept boat or a one-off experiment; it’s a very practical, hard-working 18-metre, 110-passenger ferry that delivers excellent seakeeping, strong fuel efficiency and genuine passenger comfort, along with generous luggage and cargo capacity, all within a compact platform."

Birgan said a key advantage is that the vessel was built by SeaCat and designed entirely in-house by SeaCat affiliate SeaSpeed Designs, allowing close integration between design and construction from day one. The hull form is the result of over 100 previous builds and continuous refinement.

"By 2025, we were able to fine-tune resistance, ride comfort and manoeuvrability rather than reinvent the wheel. The ferry is easy to operate, economical to run, and comfortable in real-world sea conditions, which is ultimately what operators care about most."

Birgan said that the main challenges SeaCat encountered in the construction of the new ferry were logistical in nature. Long lead times on engines, equipment and electronics required careful planning and flexibility, particularly in a supply environment that he regarded as still stabilising in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"One key lesson reinforced during this project was the importance of early systems integration. Because design and build are handled in-house, we were able to lock in machinery layouts, electrical loads and regulatory interpretations early, avoiding costly changes later."

Birgan remarked that this approach also highlighted the value of working closely with suppliers that understand fast-build aluminium vessels rather than generic commercial marine products.

Increased collaboration both in-house and externally will become more frequent as Birgan believes shipbuilding will experience a growing impact from environmental regulations and fuel efficiency requirements.

"Even where alternative fuels are not yet mandated, operators are demanding lower fuel burn, reduced emissions and future-proofed designs.

"At the same time, safety and certification requirements are becoming more detailed in some countries and consistently enforced across regions. This is pushing builders toward better documentation, more formal engineering processes and higher overall build quality, which is ultimately a positive trend for the industry."

Even with these developments, 2025 was a strong year for SeaCat as demand continued to shift from speculative projects toward well-defined, operationally driven vessels, which Birgan said aligns well with the company's in-house design-and-build model.

"Compared to the uncertainty of the immediate post-pandemic period, client decision-making is now more confident, project scopes are clearer, and funding is generally more secure," he told Baird Maritime.

"At the same time, due to customer demand, we have been deliberately diversifying into live-aboard and hybrid expedition vessels, applying our aluminium catamaran experience to new operational profiles and emerging markets. This diversification, combined with continued demand for passenger ferries, workboats and utility vessels, gives us a positive outlook."

Birgan added that these vessels remain essential infrastructure, particularly in island nations and developing coastal regions, and that underlying demand makes SeaCat optimistic about the future.

While being excited about future prospects for SeaCat, Birgan has acknowledged that efficiency and comfort will continue to dominate the passenger transport industry, as operators will want vessels that can move more people at lower cost, with smoother rides and lower noise and vibration. In his view, aluminium catamarans, particularly those developed through iterative in-house design, will be very well-placed to meet these demands.

"We also expect incremental adoption of hybrid systems, commercially available new propulsion systems, smarter onboard monitoring, and better human-centred design including seating layouts, air-conditioning efficiency and passenger flow. These aren’t headline-grabbing innovations, but they make a real difference to commercial success."

Commercial success is considered essential for any boatbuilder wishing to capture a bigger share of the Southeast Asian workboat industry, which Birgan believes will continue to experience strong growth.

"Operators are primarily focused on vessels that can transport passengers, cargo, supplies and equipment reliably and economically," he told Baird Maritime. "However, we do not expect a significant increase in demand for aluminium construction in the region in the short term, largely due to its higher upfront cost despite its durability and low lifecycle cost."

As buyers become more technically informed, there is increasing emphasis on regulatory compliance and export-ready designs, although Birgan acknowledged that price sensitivity remains a key factor.

"As a result, our current sales focus is primarily outside Southeast Asia, where operators place greater value on long-term performance, compliance and build quality. We are not prepared to compromise our standards to meet lower price points, instead focusing on markets that align with our design philosophy and quality expectations."

For a list of the 2025 "Best Of" award winners, please click here.