Tourism operator Mary D Enterprises has selected Austal to design and construct a 35-metre, high-speed monohull passenger ferry, the second Austal-built vessel for the Noumea-based company.
The ferry is principally intended for operation between Noumea and Amadee Island, but will also service other locations on New Caledonia's south and west coasts. The new vessel will be joining the Austal-built 'Mary D Dolphin', which has transported more than 300,000 passengers on the Amadee Island route since its delivery in 1998.
The 138-passenger ferry will be powered by three MTU 12V2000 engines coupled to Hamilton waterjets, giving a speed of 34 knots. It will be built at Austal's Western Australian facility and is scheduled for delivery in November 2011.
