OCEAN ARROW SSTH-70 Fast Car Ferry
Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (IHI) and IHI AMTEC Co., Ltd. delivered the 72-meter long SSTH fast car ferry OCEAN ARROW at IHI AMTEC Aioi Works in March 1998. The order for the ship was given by Corporation for Advanced Transport & Technology and Kumamoto Ferry Co., Ltd. for their route between Kumamoto and Shimabara in Kyushu Island, Japan. At service speed of 30 kt, the crossing took 30 minutes, which is half that of conventional ferries.
Features
1. The Super Slender Twin Hulls (SSTH) make it possible to reduce great amount of wave-making resistance and to need less engine power.
2. The adoption of Double Step Bow (DSB), looking like a spear, boosted seaworthiness in rough seas.
3. The hull and the superstructure are constructed of aluminum alloy to reduce weight without losing strength.
