Austal USA Sells its first Vehicle-Passenger Ferry

Austal USA has secured an order for the construction of a 58 metre vehicle-passenger ferry from Milwaukee-based Lake Express LLC. 

 

The aluminium catamaran will be the largest vessel so far constructed at the companyâs purpose-built shipyard in Mobile, Alabama.

The Auto Express 58 will set a number of firsts for the US shipbuilding and ferry industries, including:

ð The first high-speed vehicle-passenger ferry to operate in the continental United States;

ð The first aluminium vehicle-passenger ferry that will be designed and built to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 46 Subchapter K in the USA, thereby providing an affordable transport solution for high-speed vessels and opening the door for many more applications in the future; and

ð The first high-speed vehicle-passenger ferry to operate on Lake Michigan.

 

With capacity for 253 passengers and 46 cars, the Auto Express 58 will be capable of 34 knots. It will link the cities of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Muskegon in Michigan, crossing Lake Michigan in just over two hours, thus saving passengers a lengthy drive around the southern shore of Lake Michigan, including traffic congestion in Chicago. The service is scheduled to begin by the summer of 2004.

 

ãAustalâs Auto Express vehicle ferries provide a modern, efficient and proven solution to alleviate traffic issues in many parts of the United States,ä said Mr Chris Pemberton, Austal USAâs Vice President of Marketing and Sales.

 

For further information

Chris Pemberton, Vice President, Austal USA

or 

Michelle Bowden, Sales and Marketing Assistant