Well, almost. Australian-headquartered vessel designer Incat Crowther has announced a contract to design a 20m catamaran passenger ferry to ply the waters of Loch Ness in Scotland, taking tourists in search of ‘Nessie’, the lake’s famous monster.
r Cruise Loch Ness is underway at Exeter Fabrication Ltd in England. The vessel will be the first vessel to be fully designed in Incat Crowther’s Europe office, providing a full service from preliminary design through to functional and production design.
In addition to regulatory guidance, the preliminary design phase included an analysis of the vessel’s platform, with a narrow-beam catamaran was proposed, giving good efficiency whilst allowing the vessel to access the loch via a canal and lock.
The main deck will be spacious with large windows for monster-spotting opportunities. Toilets and a bar are located aft.
The upper deck is effectively and interior space, being open at the side while being covered above. This allows the cruise to operate in various weather conditions, without forcing passengers inside.
As with a number of other Incat Crowther vessels, this design features an asymmetric wheelhouse. This incorporates an enclosed wing control station on the port side (which will see all docking movements), and an open access passage to starboard. The open starboard side passage allows direct access for crew between the wheelhouse and foredeck, while also giving the flexibility of passenger flow between foredeck and upper deck.
The vessel will be powered by a pair of Volvo D9 MH main engines. Producing 313kW per side, these efficient engines are set to propel the vessel at speeds over 20 knots.
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