VESSEL REVIEW | Yujian 77 – Electric sightseeing catamaran designed for China's Xiamen Bay
Shipbuilder Funing Heavy Industry recently handed over a new catamaran sightseeing vessel that will be operated primarily in Xiamen Bay in China’s Fujian province.
Yujian 77 (屿见77) has a length of 49 metres (160 feet), a beam of 14.5 metres (47.6 feet), a draught of 2.65 metres (8.69 feet), a depth of 4.15 metres (13.6 feet), and space for 358 passengers across three decks.
Battery propulsion configured for heavy use
The top deck is an open-air space that features a bar and dining tables.
A catamaran design was selected as the use of twin hulls means that the vessel’s weight can be distributed more effectively, thereby minimising surface resistance and further improving the efficiency of the propulsion. This translates into smoother sailings and, in turn, reduced fatigue.
The vessel is notable for its electric propulsion system, which includes six CATL batteries with a total rated output of 3,918 kWh. This feature generates only minimal noise, allowing for quieter and more comfortable sailings, in addition to enabling the vessel to sail for up to five hours on a single full charge and reach a maximum speed of 11 knots.
Alternatively, a full charge will enable the vessel to serve four consecutive nighttime sightseeing cruises in Xiamen Bay.
Enhanced safety features
The batteries also feature cell-level thermal runaway non-diffusion capability, thus minimising the risk of thermal runaway caused by extremely high temperatures. An intelligent fast charging system will meanwhile ensure quicker turnarounds.
In addition to sailing on sightseeing voyages, the vessel may be used to host business conferences, private banquets, and live performances.
Yujian 77 will be operated by Xiamen Bay Maritime Tourism Passenger Transport. Design work on the vessel was undertaken by Wuxi Oriental Shipbuilding Research High-performance Boat Engineering in compliance with China Classification Society rules.
The vessel is currently undergoing a series of operational trials that are scheduled to last until October of this year, after which it will commence full commercial sailings in Xiamen Bay.
