Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), on Tuesday, launched the second double-ended roll-on roll-off ferry built for the Kochi Corporation.
The vessel was launched by Rameetha K, Scientist ‘G’ of the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory and wife of Madhu S. Nair, the yard’s chairman and managing director.
She broke the ceremonial coconut declaring the readiness of the ship to be launched into the water. Thereafter, the vessel was lifted over by the mammoth 300-tonne gantry crane and launched into water.
The vessel is the second double ended ro-ro ferry being constructed by the Cochin Shipyard, following the demand for a safer and reliable alternative for traditional ‘Jangars’ across the busy shipping channel between Fort Kochi and Vypeen, the two major islands in Ernakulam.
The vessel has been designed in-house at CSL and built to Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) classification rules and Kerala Inland Vessel (KIV) rules applicable for inland vessels in the State and the innovative design will be first of its kind in India. It can carry 12 cars and four trucks or 18 cars besides 50 passengers with an endurance of about five days.
The vessel is equipped with azimuth propulsion systems on both ends for easy manoeuvring, allowing it to be operated without the need for turning around at the jetty during cast-off, thereby considerably reducing trip time.
