MV Saint John Paul II explained

MV or HSC Saint John Paul II is a high-speed catamaran ferry owned and operated by Virtu Ferries. Built by Incat in 2017–18, the vessel entered service as a ferry between Malta and Sicily in March 2019. It is the largest vessel of its kind in the Mediterranean Sea, and the second largest in the world.

Description

On entering service Saint John Paul II became the largest high-speed catamaran in the Mediterranean Sea, and the second largest in the world, surpassing the, also operated by Virtu Ferries. It has an overall length of 110.6m (362.9feet) and a waterline length of 101.9m (334.3feet). Its moulded beam is 28.2m (92.5feet), the beam of the hulls is 5.4m (17.7feet), and it has a draught of 4.277m (14.032feet). The vessel consists of two aluminium hulls connected by a bridging section, with the forward end containing a central bow structure. It has a deadweight tonnage of 1000tonnes.[1]

The catamaran's main engines are four MTU 20V 8000 M71L engines.[2] [1] It is propelled by four Wärtsilä LJX 1500SR waterjets.[1] [3] The vessel's service speed is approximately 37knots.

The vessel is designed to accommodate 1,120 passengers and 24 crew.[4] It has two deck levels and the vessel's vehicle capacity is 490 truck lane metres or 167 cars.[1]

Construction

Virtu Ferries ordered the catamaran in July 2016 at a cost of 75 million euros in order to provide for an increased capacity of cargo traffic and passengers between Malta and Sicily.[5] [6] In 2017 it was announced that the vessel would be named Saint John Paul II, after Pope John Paul II, who had traveled on a Virtu Ferries catamaran, the ACC San Frangisk, during his 1990 visit to Malta.[7] [8] The vessel is the second Incat-built ship named after a pope, after the, which is named after Pope Francis. The vessel was built in accordance with DNV GL Classification Society Rules and with IMO High Speed Craft HSC 2000, along with Malta Flag statutory requirements and Italian Port State requirements.

The catamaran was built as Hull 089 by Incat in Hobart, Tasmania,[9] and it was designed by Revolution Design and Seaspeed Marine Consulting and tank-tested at Qinetiq. Construction began in 2017, and the vessel was launched on 22 December 2018.[10] Sea trials began in January 2019,[10] and the vessel was handed over to Virtu Ferries on 24 January.[11] It was delivered to Malta in a two-week journey between 6 and 27 February 2019.[12]

Career

The vessel entered service in March 2019,[11] replacing the Jean de La Valette.[13] An open day was held on 10 March 2019,[14] and 9,000 people visited the vessel.[15] MaltaPost installed a mailbox on board the catamaran on 11 March 2019, and mail posted there is marked as paquebot.[16]

The vessel has been called a "significant ship" by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects.[17]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in both Italy and Malta, the catamaran is still operating according to schedule but only commercial vehicles and their drivers are allowed on board.[18] A limited number of repatriation trips allowing passengers to return to their home countries were organised in March 2020.[19] [20]

Notes

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hull 089 110m Passenger Catamaran . Incat . https://web.archive.org/web/20190128155449/https://www.incat.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Hull-089-110m-mini-spec.pdf . 28 January 2019 . December 2018.
  2. Web site: Saint John Paul II High Speed Wave Piercing Catamaran. 10 October 2019. Ship Technology. 10 October 2019.
  3. Web site: Mediterranean's largest high speed catamaran to be powered by Wärtsilä waterjets . Wärtsilä . https://web.archive.org/web/20190128162258/https://www.wartsila.com/media/news/19-04-2017-mediterraneans-largest-high-speed-catamaran-to-be-powered-by-wartsila-waterjets . 28 January 2019 . 19 April 2017.
  4. Web site: Saint John Paul II . Virtu Ferries . https://web.archive.org/web/20200201124929/http://www.virtuferries.com/?page_id=10021 . 1 February 2020.
  5. News: Incat to build a new 110 metre wavepiercer for Malta's Virtu Ferries . Incat . 10 July 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190128153139/https://www.incat.com.au/incat-build-new-110-metre-wavepiercer-maltas-virtu-ferries/ . 28 January 2019.
  6. News: Virtu invests €75 million in cutting-edge, high-speed wave-piercing catamaran . 10 January 2021 . Times of Malta.
  7. Web site: Virtu Ferries' new mega-ship will be named after Pope John Paul II . MaltaChamber.org.mt . https://web.archive.org/web/20190128163512/https://www.maltachamber.org.mt/en/virtu-ferries-new-ship-will-be-named-after-pope-john-paul-ii . 28 January 2019 . 3 October 2017.
  8. Web site: SAINT JOHN PAUL II selected as name for the new Virtu Ferries catamaran . Ferry Shipping News . https://web.archive.org/web/20190128163515/https://www.ferryshippingnews.com/saint-john-paul-ii-selected-as-name-for-the-new-virtu-ferries-catamaran/ . 28 January 2019 . 5 October 2017.
  9. Web site: Incat Hull 089 / 110 Metre Wave Piercing Catamaran . Incat . https://web.archive.org/web/20190128152237/https://www.incat.com.au/incat-vessels/089/ . 28 January 2019.
  10. News: Shipbuilding: New 110m Catamaran Named Saint John Paul II . 22 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190128154112/https://www.marinelink.com/news/shipbuilding-new-m-catamaran-named-saint-461087 . 28 January 2019.
  11. News: Virtu's new catamaran will be among the world's largest . . 8 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190128163523/https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20190108/local/virtus-new-catamaran-will-be-among-the-worlds-largest.698717 . 28 January 2019.
  12. News: New catamaran MV Saint John Paul II completes delivery trip from Tasmania . . 27 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190227203142/https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20190227/local/catamaran-mv-saint-john-paul-ii-makes-it-to-valletta.703134 . 27 February 2019.
  13. News: Virtu Ferries in talks to lease catamaran to Trinidad and Tobago . . 2 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190402213219/https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20190402/business-news/virtu-ferries-in-talks-to-lease-catamaran-to-trinidad-and-tobago.706261 . 2 April 2019.
  14. News: Welcome aboard . . 9 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190402220118/https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20190309/community/welcome-aboard.703939 . 2 April 2019.
  15. News: Borg . Coryse . Thousands flock to see Virtu's Saint John Paul II . Newsbook.com.mt . 12 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190402220543/https://www.newsbook.com.mt/artikli/2019/03/12/thousands-flock-to-see-virtus-saint-john-paul-ii/?lang=en . 2 April 2019.
  16. Web site: Postbox service on-board Catamaran . https://web.archive.org/web/20190402212630/https://www.maltapost.com/news-details?id=4895 . . 2 April 2019 . 12 March 2019.
  17. News: Saint John Paul II a 'significant ship' – Royal Institute of Naval Architects . . 6 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190331014338/https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20190306/business-news/saint-john-paul-ii-a-significant-ship-royal-institute-of-naval.703651 . 31 March 2019.
  18. News: COVID-19 Press Release . Virtu Ferries . 10 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200313135220/http://www.virtuferries.com/?p=10596 . 13 March 2020 . 13 March 2020 . live .
  19. News: M/V 'Saint John Paul II' Tuesday 10th March 2020 to operate repatriation trips to/from Sicily . Virtu Ferries . 10 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200313135228/http://www.virtuferries.com/?p=10588 . 13 March 2020 . 13 March 2020 . live .
  20. News: 13.03.2020 Another two evacuation voyages today . Virtu Ferries . 13 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200313135232/http://www.virtuferries.com/?p=10609 . 13 March 2020 . 13 March 2020 . live .

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