Academics argue for use of catamarans as cheaper ferry service between islands

ACADEMICS have made the case for using catamarans to provide a ferry service for Scotland’s islands.

The comments were made during a seminar at the University of Strathclyde’s Maritime Safety Research Centre yesterday.

Retired professor of maritime businesses Alfred Baird stated the estimated newbuild price for a 100-car capacity ferry is currently more than £50million compared to less than £20million for some catamarans of a similar size.

Mr Baird also argued catamarans have a lower capital cost, lower operating costs, a reduced build time and lower emissions when compared to traditional monohull ferries.

Discussing the suitability of catamarans as an option for an inter-island ferry service, he said: ‘It’s a solution proven and proven again.’

Dracos Vassalos, professor of maritime safety at the University of Strathclyde, said: ‘Domestic ferry safety is primarily a design concern and the Achilles heel in every such design is damage stability.

‘This being the case, it is intriguing that design concepts, such as catamarans, are being overlooked as a viable alternative to solving the damage stability problem, especially when such designs offer significant financial incentives compared to monohulls.

‘Catamarans in this respect are an untapped resource, offering significant potential for safe and cost-effective inter-island transportation.’

Stuart Ballantyne, a Dumbarton-born naval architect whose catamaran ferry design has been embraced by 47 countries in five continents, travelled to Scotland from Australia’s Gold Coast, where he now lives, to make a presentation at the event.