VESSEL REVIEW | Cliffs of Moher Express – Ferry and tourist shuttle to serve Ireland's Aran region
Irish transport operator Doolin Ferry recently welcomed a new ferry to its fleet.
Named after the famed Cliffs of Moher attraction in County Clare, the aluminium-hulled Cliffs of Moher Express was built by Nova Shipyard of Turkey to a design developed by French naval architecture firm Mer et Design.
The 32- by eight-metre (100- by 26-foot) newbuild has already commenced operational sailings to and from the Aran Islands and is also being used for sightseeing excursions around her namesake cliffs.
“Cliffs of Moher Express is a next-generation aluminium passenger ferry designed and built specifically for the demanding sea conditions of Ireland’s Atlantic coast,” Genco Yener, Founder and CEO of Nova Shipyard, told Baird Maritime. “The project was carried out in close cooperation between Nova Shipyard and Mer et Design, combining deep engineering capability with European design expertise.”
The vessel has already begun operating along the West Coast of Ireland, proving passenger transport between Doolin Harbour and the Aran Islands in addition to being used for sightseeing tours around the Cliffs of Moher and high-frequency, short-distance shuttle services during the tourist season – duties that require strong seakeeping, rapid passenger handling, and high reliability.
Energy-saving features coupled with improved passenger access
Yener explained that the new ferry boasts unique features. Firstly, the layout provides improved access for people with disabilities, offering barrier-free spaces and a dedicated lift. There are also roof-mounted solar panels that charge the onboard battery bank and support a portion of the hotel loads, reducing environmental impact and fuel consumption.
There are also a stabiliser and an interceptor system to reduce rolling and pitching for improved passenger comfort; a retractable canopy system on the upper deck to provide passengers with flexible comfort in changing weather conditions during sightseeing; and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system that can significantly reduce NOx emissions.
“A full yacht-standard fairing and painting system, executed with AkzoNobel products, gives the vessel exceptional surface quality and long-term durability,” added Yener. “Overall, the vessel blends commercial robustness with yacht-grade finish, modern sustainability features, and enhanced accessibility, making her a standout vessel in her class.”
Built for daily heavy duty use
Cliffs of Moher Express was built in fulfilment of Doolin Ferry’s requirements for a vessel that carry 300 passengers, operate daily on exposed Atlantic routes, and be fully compliant with EU 2009/45 Category B standards for domestic passenger ships cleared for operation no more than 20 miles (32 kilometres) from the coast.
“[She also needed to] provide high comfort for sightseeing routes around the Cliffs of Moher, [be capable of] reduced fuel consumption and emissions, [offer] minimised vibration and noise levels, and enhance the overall passenger experience with high-quality interior finishes,” Yener remarked. “The owner specifically requested a modern, environmentally conscious vessel that would set a new operational and visual standard for its fleet.”
The ferry is powered by two 2,100hp (1,600kW) diesel engines that drive CJR fixed-pitch propellers via ZF gearboxes. According to Yener, this setup offers extremely low vibration, reduced noise, high efficiency, and smooth thrust, and the resulting comfort is crucial for sightseeing operations.
“The propellers’ optimised blade geometry improves both acceleration and efficiency,” he told Baird Maritime. “The propulsion system was specifically matched with the stabilisation and interceptor systems for maximum comfort and reduced hull resistance. The combined effect is a quiet, smooth, and stable ride, which is rare for high-capacity aluminium ferries.”
The engines are fed by fuel tanks with a total capacity of 14,000 litres (3,100 gallons). The propulsion can deliver a maximum speed of 23 knots and a cruising speed of 18 knots.
The vessel’s wheelhouse electronics include a Furuno package consisting of a radar, a GPS, an AIS, a depth sounder, and displays. CCTV cameras are fitted for monitoring of the onboard areas while alarm and monitoring systems have been integrated with the machinery spaces, the solar panels, and the battery pack.
In the passenger cabin are an entertainment system with high-power audio. The entertainment and audio systems were designed to meet tourism-focused operational requirements, offering a better passenger experience.
The cabin also has wifi connectivity. Yener said the wifi network covers the entire vessel despite her aluminium construction, and this was made possible through specialised routing planning.
Maximising capacity while addressing aluminium weight restrictions
On the deck are heavy-duty mooring equipment, access ramps and dedicated passenger flow pathways, disabled-friendly boarding arrangements, lightweight aluminium railings and protective systems, and category B-compliant lifesaving appliances and firefighting equipment.
“The deck arrangement was designed to support tourist-focused operations, maximising viewing angles around the cliffs,” said Yener. “The accessibility elements and the disabled lift meanwhile differentiate the vessel from conventional passenger ferries.”
Design work on Cliffs of Moher Express came with its own challenges, including integrating high passenger capacity with strict aluminium weight limitations while maintaining category B compliance; and achieving excellent performance in the short, steep Atlantic waves typical of Doolin routes.
“It was also challenging to incorporate new systems – namely, the disabled lift, the solar panels, the SCR system, the retractable canopy, and the stabilisers – into a streamlined design without compromising weight or stability,” Yener told Baird Maritime. “[The same was true for] ensuring yacht-grade fairing and finishing within a commercial vessel structure and aligning engineering decisions between Nova Shipyard and Mer et Design while meeting the owner's operational expectations.”
As for the construction, challenges included executing a full fairing and yacht-quality paint system on a 32-metre commercial ferry (which Yener said was extremely rare in this class); ensuring structural precision for the disabled lift installation, integrating the solar-battery-hotel load system within a commercial electrical architecture; achieving significantly low interior noise and vibration levels through a combination of the propeller, stabiliser and interceptor systems; and maintaining tight weight control to preserve performance and stability.
“We learned that early integration of accessibility and environmental technologies (the disabled lift, solar panels, SCR, etc) significantly improves final vessel performance, and that yacht-grade finishing can successfully be combined with commercial-duty ferry construction when production processes are carefully planned,” said Yener.
“Collaboration with premium equipment suppliers elevates the final product and reduces lifecycle costs, while working with international design partners such as Mer et Design enhances innovation and engineering diversity. Because of the success of this ferry, the owner has already placed an order for a sister vessel, which is currently under construction.”
