The 2,270-gt passenger/car ferry EINS SOYA, built at Setoda Works of Naikai Zosen Corporation, was delivered to Higashi Nihonkai Ferry Co., Ltd. on June 25, 1997.
This was the eighth vessel built for the same shipowner as well as the first passenger ship built by Naikai Zosen to be accredited for international navigation (Wakkanai to Sakhalin). The ship is now serving the Wakkanai-Rishirito-Rebunto ferry route.
Features
1. A twin-propeller, twin-rudder passenger/car ferry equipped with a ramp door at the stern to allow automobiles to roll on and off through vehicle decks.
2. A bulbous bow and a split stern design contribute to improvement in propulsive performance, and an ice knife (built of a steel plate) makes the bow sufficiently resistant to contact with drift ice.
3. The ferry is equipped with anti-rolling tanks while bow thrusters and a Schilling rudder to enhance the efficiency of berthing and unberthing.
4. "Eins" is a German word meaning "number one, superior, the best." The EINS SOYA is a sister ship of three large passenger/car ferries including the PRINCE SOYA, all of the same style. The name "Eins" symbolizes another improvement to the excellent safety and stability features already embodied in the fleet. Expectations are high.
