The Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has launched the first of the two double-ended roll on, roll off (ro-ro) ferry vessels it is building for the Corporation of Kochi. The vessel was launched by Mayor Soumini Jain.
The ferry will ply between Vypin and Fort Kochi carrying 12 cars and three trucks or 18 cars besides 50 passengers, enabling movement of lorry/passenger vehicles without entering the city.
The vessels work like a floating bridge, with ramps at either end. The most important feature of the vessel is that the vehicles drive in and drive out on a “first-in, first-out” basis, without the need to reverse the vehicles during loading on the vessel which drastically reduces loading/ unloading time. Hence, special driving skills are not required for vehicle drivers to load the vehicles onto the vessels.This would be a great advantage for senior citizens, maintained the yard in a media release.
Enjoy the AC wheel house
Another special feature of the vessel, it said, was an air conditioned wheel house for comfort of the operator.
The vessel was also designed to withstand deck loading for trucks and heavy vehicles, with heavy duty ramp and hinged flaps to ensure safe loading and unloading.
The ferry was designed in-house at CSL and was built according to the rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), a ship classification society.
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 reducing trip times.
They also have a number of inbuilt safety features.
The structural tanks are designed to withstand flooding of engine/thruster compartments ensuring the safety of the vessel in case of structural damage in the event of a collision.
Bilge safety alarms in all compartments are provided to detect flooding even in closed compartments. Fire alarm systems are provided for engine rooms.
Apart from this, safety tips and alarms of the engine and thruster are displayed in the wheel house and an echo sounder is also provided to know the depth of the water.
While the double-ended ferry is small compared with the bigger vessels that CSL has built and delivered, such as the deck cargo launch barge for the National Petroleum Construction Company, Abu Dhabi, and the indigenous aircraft carrier for the Navy which is under construction, the launch of the ferry marks the “entry into the inland water transport sector riding on the back of the government’s efforts to promote cargo and passenger transportation through a vast network of rivers and canals spread across the country”, according to Madhu S. Nair, chairman and managing director of the yard.
