The State Water Transport Department’s (SWTD) fleet of single hull, slow-moving steel vessels that operate from the city to West Kochi and Vypeen will shortly be replaced with modern catamarans that are safer, faster and much more comfortable.
The new vessels will have fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) hull, which is popular worldwide. The catamaran (twin hull design) will provide them the much-needed stability. This will prevent frequent visits to the workshop to overcome corrosion that is a bane for steel vessels. They will also cause much less noise pollution and vibration, as compared to the vessels that operate now, said Shaji V. Nair, Director of the department.
A pair of 100-seater catamaran ferries that were built as per Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) norms will be commissioned in Kochi in November. They will have two engines, to ensure their safety even if an engine develops snag. The vessels will also operate at upto 8 knots (around 15 km/hr) speed (as compared to existing vessels that operate at less than 10 km/hr speed), he added.
The sole IRS-class vessel which was in operation in Kochi till the pandemic was Vega-120, SWTD’s fast ferry that operated in the Vaikom-Ernakulam-Fort Kochi route. It operated at more than double the speed of existing steel ferries.
Another four catamaran FRP ferries with more of less similar specifications are being built at another yard in the suburbs of Kochi. One of them will be commissioned in December and a second in January 2021. The other two will follow suit.
Solar tourist boat
The department would also roll out its first solar-powered tourist boat in Kochi, by December end. “The catamaran vessel will be air-conditioned and have an upper deck for guests to have a sound view of the backwaters. We plan to launch it in December end,” Mr. Nair said.
It operates two non-AC tourist services in the Alappuzha-Kollam route and in Kuttanad. Close on the heels of launching a water taxi service in Alappuzha on October 15, the department is readying to launch one such vessel in Kochi in November. It too will have solar panels on the roof, to provide energy for the electrical components. Guests will be able to rent out the 10-seater vessel.
