By
Alex Smith |
Incat Crowther is to design a 53-metre-long catamaran passenger ferry, Kilimanjaro VIiI, for Tanzanian ferry operator Azam Marine.
Kilimanjaro VIII will be the 11th Incat Crowther-designed vessel to be built for the Azam Marine, and the eighth to be built by shipbuilder Richardson Devine Marine. She will be longer and wider than Kilimanjaro VII, which was delivered in 2019, increasing passenger capacity to 654.
A total of 340 passengers will be seated in the main deck economy cabin, while the mid-deck cabin will seat 36 VIP passengers and 12 Royal Class passengers. The rest of the mid-deck will seat a further 266 economy passengers.
The ship will use a parallel boarding system, which comprises five ramps on each side. VIP and Royal Class passengers will board via a stair tower that will take them directly to the upper deck cabin, while economy passengers will embark on the aft and mid-ship ramps. The fifth ramp will be dedicated to luggage trolleys.
The vessel will be powered by a pair of Cummin QSK95-M main engines. These will be rated to deliver more power compared to Kilimanjaro VII, which was the first ship to use the configuration. The hull will also be modified with the introduction of a reverse-bow configuration.