Fast ferry catamarans have been in use for several decades. They possess the advantage of overcoming one of the major deficiencies of water transportation: low speed. Although their operation has spread throughout different parts of the world, an overall analysis of the implementation and failures of this technology remains underdeveloped in the transport literature. This paper presents and compares two unsuccessful experiences of the use of fast ferry catamarans in New Zealand and Hawaii. Although both attempts possess major differences in terms of their contexts, particularly regarding competition, regulatory and environmental issues, some of the common lessons learned from both experiences can significantly contribute to a better understanding of this water transport technology and the challenges involved in its operation.
N. Gee, “Future Design Trends in High Speed Vessels.” Nigel Gee and Associates Ltd., Vancouver, 1999.
G. Dunlop, “The European Ferry Industry—Challenges and Changes,” International Journal of Transport Management, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2002, pp. 115-116. doi:10.1016/S1471-4051(02)00005-8
M. Graham and V. Russell, “Inverclyde Ferry Services: A Passenger Segmentation Analysis,” Journal of Vacation Marketing, Vol. 7, No. 3, 2001, pp. 221-233. doi:10.1177/135676670100700303
G. Lohmann and D. G. Pearce, “Conceptualizing and Operationalizing Nodal Tourism Functions,” Journal of Transport Geography, Vol. 18, No. 2, 2010, pp. 266-275. doi:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2009.05.003
A. J. Haywood, A. J. Duncan, K. P. Klaka and J. Bennett, “The Development of a Ride Control System for Fast Ferries,” Control Engineering Practice, Vol. 3, No. 5, 1995, pp. 695-702. doi:10.1016/0967-0661(95)00046-W
G. A. Thomas, M. R. Davis, D. S. Holloway, N. L. Watson and T. J. Roberts, “Slamming Response of a Large High-Speed Wave-Piercer Catamaran,” Marine Technology and SNAME News, Vol. 40, No. 2, 2003, pp. 126-140.
T. Soomere, “Nonlinear Components of Ship Wake Waves,” Applied Mechanics Reviews, Vol. 60, No. 3, 2007, pp. 120-138. doi:10.1115/1.2730847
K. Parnell, S. McDonald and A. Burke, “Shoreline Effects of Vessel Wakes, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand,” Journal of Coastal Research, Vol. 50, Winter 2007, pp. 502-506.
K. E. Parnell and H. Kofoed-Hansen, “Wakes from Large High-Speed Ferries in Confined Coastal Waters: Management Approaches with Examples from New Zealand and Denmark,” Coastal Management, Vol. 29, No. 3, 2001, pp. 217-237. doi:10.1080/08920750152102044
T. Karayannis, A. Papanikolaou and A. F. Molland, “The Introduction of High-Speed Ferries into the Eastern Mediterranean,” International Congress of International Maritime Association 2000, Ischia, 2-6 April 2000, pp. 1-11.
D. B. McCafferty and K. P. McSweeney, “Comfort: Passengers, Crews and Fast Ferries,” American Bureau of Shipping, New Orleans, 2001.
L. Dwyer, D. Edwards, N. Mistilis, C. Roman and N. Scott, “Destination and Enterprise Management for a Tourism Future,” Tourism Management, Vol. 30, No. 1, 2009, pp. 63-74. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2008.04.002
Hellenic Seaways, “Financial Results for the 9 Month Period to September 2007,” 2007. http://www.hellenicseaways.gr/index.asp?a_id=242&news_id=172
J. Wang and S. McOwan, “Fast Passenger Ferries and Their Future,” Maritime Policy and Management, Vol. 27, No. 3, 2000, pp. 231-251. doi:10.1080/030888300411086
M. Wickham, “Entrepreneurship and the Management of Innovation in the Global Marketplace: The Incat Story,” The Management Case Study Journal, Vol. 5, No. 2, 2005, pp. 83-93.
J. Bonafoux, E. Dudson and D. Sherwood, “An Evaluation of the Effect of Hull Form Choice on the Operability of Fast Ferries,” Nigel Gee and Associates Ltd, Southampton, 2001.
G. Bulian, A. Francescutto and I. Zotti, “Stability and Roll Motion of Fast Multihull Vessels in Beam Waves,” Ships and Offshore Structures, Vol. 3, No. 3, 2008, pp. 215-228. doi:10.1080/17445300801990913
Y. Inoue and M. Kamruzzaman, “Analysis of Hydrodynamic Characteristics for Arbitrary Multihull Ships Advancing in Waves,” Journal of Marine Science and Technology, Vol. 13, No. 3, 2008, pp. 231-243. doi:10.1007/s00773-008-0001-x
H. Moraes, J. Vasconcellos and P. Almeida, “Multiple Criteria Optimization Applied to High Speed Catamaran Preliminary Design,” Ocean Engineering, Vol. 34, No. 1, 2007, pp. 133-147. doi:10.1016/j.oceaneng.2005.12.009
C. C. Fang and H. S. Chan, “An Investigation on the Vertical Motion Sickness Characteristics of a High-Speed Catamaran Ferry,” Ocean Engineering, Vol. 34, No. 14- 15, 2007, pp. 1909-1917. doi:10.1016/j.oceaneng.2007.04.001
G. Lohmann and D. N. Nguyen, “A Holistic Approach to Sustainable Tourism Transportation in Hawaii,” In: J. Carlsen and R. Butler, Eds., Island Tourism Development: Journeys toward Sustainability, CABI, Wallingford, 2011, pp. 197-214.
G. Lohmann and D. G. Pearce, “Tourism and Transport Relationships: The Suppliers’ Perspective in Gateway Destinations in New Zealand,” Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, Vol. 17, No. 1, 2012, pp. 14-29. doi:10.1080/10941665.2011.613211
A. Finnegan, “Queasy First Trip for Ferry,” The Evening Post, 21 Dec 1994, p. 1.
S. Berry, “Fast Ferries on Cook Strait—The First Season Reviewed,” The Transportant, 1995, pp. 6-10.
C. Bell, “Hundreds Hit by Holdups,” The Dominion, 4 Jan 1995, pp. 1-3.
C. Bell, “Speeding across the Strait,” The Dominion, 20 April 1995, pp. 4.
A. Finnegan, “Ferry Collapse Threatens Other,” The Evening Post, 2 May 1996, p. 1.
A. Shelton, “Strait Runner Firm in Receivership,” The Dominion, 2 May 1996, p. 1.
M. Pryce, “Nautical News,” New Zealand Marine News, 1997, pp. 191-222.
M. Pryce, “Nautical News,” New Zealand Marine News, 1998, pp. 24-58.
M. Pryce, “Nautical News,” New Zealand Marine News, 1999, pp. 78-102.
J. O’Connor, “Cat Fight,” The Evening Post, 28 October 2000, p. 28.
C. Wilson, “Superferry Still under Maui traffic Order,” Advertiser Neighbor Island Edition, 9 November 2007.
Pacific Business News, “Lingle Signs Superferry Bill,” Pacific Business News, 5 November 2007.
C. Blair, “Hawaii Supreme Court Rules Superferry Law Unconstitutional,” Pacific Business News, 16 March 2009.
D. Kurennoy, I. Didenkulova and T. Soomere, “Crest- trough Asymmetry of Waves Generated by High-Speed Ferries,” Estonian Journal of Engineering, Vol. 15, No. 3, 2009, pp. 182-195. doi:10.3176/eng.2009.3.03
T. Soomere, J. Elken, J. Kask, S. Keevallik, T. Kouts, J. Metsaveer, et al., “Fast Ferries as a New Key Forcing Factor in Tallinn Bay,” Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, Engineering, Vol. 9, No. 3, 2003, pp. 220-242.
T. Soomere and J. Kask, “A Specific Impact of Waves of Fast Ferries on Sediment transport Processes in Tallinn Bay,” Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, Biology, Ecology, Vol. 52, No. 3, 2003, pp. 319-331.
T. Soomere, “Fast ferry Traffic as a Qualitatively New Forcing Factor of Environmental Processes in Non-Tidal sea Areas: A Case Study in Tallinn Bay, Baltic Sea,” Environmental Fluid Mechanics, Vol. 5, No. 4, 2005, pp. 293-323. doi:10.1007/s10652-005-5226-1
A. Hüsig, T. Linke and C. Zimmermann, “Effects from Supercritical Ship Operation on Inland Canals,” Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering, Vol. 126, No. 3, 2000, pp. 130-135. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-950X(2000)126:3(130)
I. W. Dand, T. A. Dinham-Peren and L. King, “Hydrodynamic Aspects of a Fast Catamaran Operating in Shallow Water,” BMT SeaTech Ltd., London, 1999.
T. Torsvik, I. Didenkulova, T. Soomere and K. Parnell, “Variability in Spatial Patterns of Long Nonlinear Waves from Fast Ferries in Tallinn Bay,” Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2009, pp. 351-363. doi:10.5194/npg-16-351-2009
T. Soomere, R. Poeder, K. Rannat and A. Kask, “Profiles of Waves from High-Speed Ferries in the Coastal Area of Tallinn Bay,” Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, Engineering, Vol. 11, No. 3, 2005, pp. 245-260.
T. Torsvik and T. Soomere, “Simulation of Patterns of Wakes from High-Speed Ferries in Tallinn Bay,” Estonian Journal of Engineering, Vol. 14, No. 3, 2008, pp. 232-254. doi:10.3176/eng.2008.3.04
C. Bell, “Trouble in Fast Ferries’ Wake,” The Dominion, 29 Dec 1994, p. 1.
C. Bell, “Sounds Residents May Take Action over Ferries,” The Dominion, 5 Jan 1995, p. 3.
R. Croad and K. Parnell, “Proposed Controls on Shipping Activity in the Marlborough Sounds: A Review under S. 32 of the Resource Management Act,” Opus International Consultants Ltd and Auckland UniServices Ltd, Marlborough, 2002.
B. Pardy, “Fast Ferries: New Equilibrium Versus Ecological Sustainability,” New Zealand Law Journal, Vol. 6, 1995, pp. 202-204.
A. Taylor, “All Agree on Damage, Says Sounds Group,” The Evening Post, 13 February 1995, p. 3.
P. Milne and J. Tiller, “Making Waves: The Fast Ferries Decision,” Resource Management Bulletin, Vol. 11, 1995, pp. 146-148.
A. Taylor, “Ferry Decision ‘Backward Step’—Law Lecturer,” The Evening Post, 1 April 1995, p. 8.
A. Shelton, “Faster Ferries’ Teething Problems,” The Dominion, 21 December 1995, p. 13.
A. Taylor, “Lynx Wake Tests Could Avoid Speed Restriction,” The Evening Post, 29 November 1995, p. 1.
Rails, “New Ferries, New Terminals—Possible Futures for NZ Rail’s Interisland Line,” Rails, August 1995, pp. 4-9.
M. Pryce, “Nautical News,” New Zealand Marine News, 2000, pp. 186-205.
M. Pryce, “Nautical News,” New Zealand Marine News, 2000, pp. 27-50.
Marlborough District Council, “Use of Large, High Speed Vessels in the Marlborough Sounds,” Marlborough District Council, Blenheim, 2000.
Rails, “NZ Rail Plans Fast Ferry for Cook Strait This Summer,” Rails, January 1994, pp. 28-29.