Philippine operator FastCat welcomes five new ferries to fleet

Filipino vessel owner Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corporation (APFC), which operates under the name FastCat, recently took delivery of five new catamaran Ro-Pax vessels in a series built by Singapore's Greenbay Marine Group, local newspaper The Manila Times reports.

The ferries belong to a series designed by Australian naval architecture firm Seatransport. FastCat M17 and FastCat M18, two earlier vessels from the same series, were delivered to APFC in 2021 following completion at the facilities of Guangdong Bonny Fair Heavy Industry in China.

APFC had earlier said that the series of ferries was specifically designed for operation under the various weather and sea conditions typical in the many inter-island shipping routes throughout the Philippines.

APFC Chairman Christopher Pastrana had earlier confirmed that the design work that went into the ferries was the result of feedback from crews and customers on how improvements can be made in accommodation spaces and even in the bridge and the engine room.