Express 4 Ferry is a high-speed passenger vehicle built at Henderson shipyard in WA by Austral for Denmark based ferry operator Molslinjen.
The contract for the design and construction of the passenger (Ro-Pax) ferry was worth A$109m ($77.4m) that Molslinjen placed with Austral in June 2016.
Construction started at the Austal’s Henderson shipyard with the traditional plate-cutting ceremony in April 2017. Molslinjen received the ferry in January 2019 from Austral after the vessel sailed for 27 days from Henderson in Australia, reaching Odden in Denmark in February 2019. The ferry began its first sail in October 2018. Starting March 2019, Express 4 Ferry will start regular ferry services in the Kattegat Sea.
The size of the vessel is similar to three other catamaran ferries of Molslinjen, the Express 1, Express 2 and Express 3. Its sailing route is in between Aarhus and Odden, which lies on the crossing of the Kattegat.
Express 4 specifications
Express 4 has the existing catamaran design of Austal and is an integration of hull form and modern superstructure. The hull is entirely made of aluminium that is laser-welded and consists of panels of composite aluminium structures.
The existence of lower deadweight and optimised hull shape gives the ferry a better performance and increased fuel efficiency, leading to lower operating costs, and rewarding passenger experience. The presence of waterjets provides the ferry with a better propulsion efficiency.
The Express 4 High-Speed Catamaran Ferry includes passenger, viewing and vehicle decks. The passenger deck of the vessel features a crew mess, a kiosk, a bar, and a children’s playground. A crew of 22 operates the catamaran.
Specifications
The Ferry 4 has a total length of 109 metres and a waterline length of 105m, a moulded depth of 7.6m, a moulded beam of 30.5m, and a maximum hull draft of 3.4m. The maximum deadweight of Express 4 High-Speed Catamaran Ferry is 1000t.
Cargo capacity
Express 4 Catamaran Ferry can carry a maximum of 1,006 passengers and 425 passenger cars at a time. The vessel is capable of transporting cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, and caravans. Seating arrangements of passengers are in the aft, forward lounges, and the centre, and have different configurations.
There is enough width in the vehicle deck for the articulated vehicles. 610 lane-meters are available for trucks as well as other commercial vehicles in the vehicle deck. Clearance heights of 4.6m and 2.1m exist with the main deck and the mezzanine deck. The twin hulls include storage tanks for carrying lube oil, fuel, fresh water, grey water, bilge/sludge, and black water.
Conclusion
With over 40 years of shipping experience, Norship Ship Sale is a leading brokering company involved in cruise vessels for sale and purchase. Besides, they are also engaged in the sale and purchase of ferries and roro/ropax vessels.
