Austal Philippines launched Hull 419, a 109 meter high-speed catamaran ferry being built for Fjord Line or Norway at Austal's Balamban shipyard in Cebu.
The vehicle-passenger ferry, to be known as FSTR, is the largest aluminium vessel ever launched in the Philippines – and the largest by volume ever built by Austal. It is scheduled to be delivered in the 2nd quarter of CY2020.
“This new ship for Fjord Line of Norway is the first of many large, high-speed commercial ferries to be constructed at our newly expanded shipyard in the Philippines," said Austal CEO David Singleton. "After Hull 419, we have Hull 395, a 118 meter trimaran under construction, which will be the longest high speed ferry to be constructed in the Philippines. We also have a 115 meter catamaran ferry scheduled for later this year – ensuring continuity of production at the Philippines shipyard well into the 2020s."
Fjord Line’s FSTR (Hull 419) is designed to carry 1,200 passengers at up to 40 knots and features Austal’s largest ever vehicle-carrying capacity constructed to date, with a beam of 30.5 meters enabling 404 cars to be carried across two decks. The ship features several design innovations that aim to enhance operating performance and passenger comfort, including a new, optimized hull form that will minimize fuel consumption and wake wash when operating on the Skagerrak Sea between Hirtshals, Denmark and Kristiansand, Norway.