Beihai Xinyi Cruise's newest sightseeing catamaran hits the water

A new sightseeing vessel was launched at the facilities of China's Jiangxi Jiangxin Shipbuilding in a ceremony on Tuesday, September 2.

Named Beiyou 36, the vessel will be operated by local shipowner Beihai Xinyi Cruise between the city of Beihai and Weizhou Island in Beibu Gulf within the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Upon completion, the aluminium-hulled catamaran vessel will have an LOA of 71 metres, a beam of 17 metres, a depth of 5.6 metres, a draught of only 2.1 metres, and space for up to 1,200 passengers. Four main engines will drive waterjets to deliver a top speed of 29 knots and a range of 400 nautical miles.

Beiyou 36 is a sister ship of Beiyou 26, which was handed over to the same customer in 2020 following completion at Aulong Shipbuilding. Their dimensions make these two catamarans some of the largest aluminium-hulled, high-speed passenger vessels to be built in China.