Ferries can be categorised as either being RoPax, Pax or Ro-Ro. Both the RoPax and Pax ferry are equipped to carry over 12 passengers, while the Pax ferries concentrate on the transport of cargo, trucks and cars. However, a limited number of cabins for the drivers is present on the Pax ferries. Cars and drivers board the ship, by driving their cars and trucks over a ramp. The vessels shuttle between ports on a very tight schedule and on relatively short route. The political willingness, especially in Europe, to develop short sea shipping and create motorways on the seas to reduce congestions, is yielding new concepts especially with multi-hulls for high-speed service.
RoRo's play a key role in the economy of islands as they represent the continuity for the delivery of goods and exchange with the main lands. Dedicated RoRo's are also designed to take part of a complete logistic chain, where timing and reliability are key issues.
Mainly for the Pax and RoPax ferries, comfort is important. This is especially the case for the so-called cruise ferries, where the onboard revenues can be related to, for example, seasickness. Therefore MARIN has developed dedicated tools to obtain a comfort rating.
For all ship types, safety has become a major issue over the last years. MARIN has developed a dedicated flooding simulation tool, to investigate, amongst others, the progressive flooding on car decks.
RoRo's play a key role in the economy of islands as they represent the continuity for the delivery of goods and exchange with the main lands. Dedicated RoRo's are also designed to take part of a complete logistic chain, where timing and reliability are key issues.
Mainly for the Pax and RoPax ferries, comfort is important. This is especially the case for the so-called cruise ferries, where the onboard revenues can be related to, for example, seasickness. Therefore MARIN has developed dedicated tools to obtain a comfort rating.
For all ship types, safety has become a major issue over the last years. MARIN has developed a dedicated flooding simulation tool, to investigate, amongst others, the progressive flooding on car decks.
Services & Activities
Since tight sailing schedules apply the sustained speed of a ferry is an important parameter. The powering performance of ferries is investigated by the Resistance and Propulsion experts who are also involved in hull form optimisation. Sailing at high speeds involves the risk of cavitation and vibrations. These issues are looked at by the Propulsors and Cavitation experts.
The sustained speed in waves and the ability of to maintain the schedule are of large economic importance to the vessels operator. The Manoeuvring Knowledge Team verifies the stringent demand on the manoeuvrability while the Seakeeping experts assess seakeeping performances. This includes anti roll systems, ship motions and ride control systems. Operational capabilities are analysed by voyage simulations this results in the percentage of time that the vessel will meet its schedule and it is also capable of assessing the fuel costs. For multihulls and high speed vessel, important design parameters as the structural loads must be carefully assessed taking into account slamming loads, possible whipping response of the hull and fatigue.
At the MARIN Nautical Centre MSCN the crew has the possibilities to practice special situations in the simulators.
The Trials & Monitoring Department can help clients with independent full-scale measurements of ship performances, cavitation observations, and hull-pressure fluctuation and loads measurements.
Since tight sailing schedules apply the sustained speed of a ferry is an important parameter. The powering performance of ferries is investigated by the Resistance and Propulsion experts who are also involved in hull form optimisation. Sailing at high speeds involves the risk of cavitation and vibrations. These issues are looked at by the Propulsors and Cavitation experts.
The sustained speed in waves and the ability of to maintain the schedule are of large economic importance to the vessels operator. The Manoeuvring Knowledge Team verifies the stringent demand on the manoeuvrability while the Seakeeping experts assess seakeeping performances. This includes anti roll systems, ship motions and ride control systems. Operational capabilities are analysed by voyage simulations this results in the percentage of time that the vessel will meet its schedule and it is also capable of assessing the fuel costs. For multihulls and high speed vessel, important design parameters as the structural loads must be carefully assessed taking into account slamming loads, possible whipping response of the hull and fatigue.
At the MARIN Nautical Centre MSCN the crew has the possibilities to practice special situations in the simulators.
The Trials & Monitoring Department can help clients with independent full-scale measurements of ship performances, cavitation observations, and hull-pressure fluctuation and loads measurements.
Facilities & Tools
RoRo's, RoPax and Pax ferries are tested in our facilities:
RoRo's, RoPax and Pax ferries are tested in our facilities:
- Deep Water Towing Tank: resistance and propulsion tests
- Seakeeping & Manoeuvring Basin: seakeeping and manoeuvring tests
- Depressurised towing tank: cavitation and vibration tests
The behaviour of ferries can be assessed numerically by different software tools. A complete list can be found here.
Most recent RoRo papers presented by MARIN:
(complete overview of papers can be found under Publications)
(complete overview of papers can be found under Publications)
On the prediction of parametric roll
Gunsing and Dallinga, proceedings ISSW, 2010
Scenario simulations in design for service
Dallinga R.P., Daalen E.F.G. van, Grin R. and Willemstein A.P., Proceedings PRADS 2004, 12-17 Sep, Travemunde, 2004
Design for service in ferry-design
Dallinga, R.P., Loeff, G.B. and Thill, C., HPMV 3rd International Conference on High Performance Marine Vessels, 2003
Design for service
Dallinga R.P. and Daalen E.F.G. van, IMTA Conference, 2003
Human factors in the operational performance of ferries
Dallinga R.P, Pinkster D-J. and Bos J.E., Proceedings RINA Symposium "Human Factors in ship design and operation II", London, 2002
Gunsing and Dallinga, proceedings ISSW, 2010
Scenario simulations in design for service
Dallinga R.P., Daalen E.F.G. van, Grin R. and Willemstein A.P., Proceedings PRADS 2004, 12-17 Sep, Travemunde, 2004
Design for service in ferry-design
Dallinga, R.P., Loeff, G.B. and Thill, C., HPMV 3rd International Conference on High Performance Marine Vessels, 2003
Design for service
Dallinga R.P. and Daalen E.F.G. van, IMTA Conference, 2003
Human factors in the operational performance of ferries
Dallinga R.P, Pinkster D-J. and Bos J.E., Proceedings RINA Symposium "Human Factors in ship design and operation II", London, 2002
Most recent RoRo articles written for MARIN Report:
(complete overview of articles can be found under Publications)
(complete overview of articles can be found under Publications)
Lashing@Sea in pursuit of safety and efficiency
Jos Koning, MARIN Report, 2006
Lashing@Sea JIP addresses the problem of containers lost at sea
Jos Koning, MARIN Report, 2005
Euroyards in the FASST lane...
Guilhem Gaillarde, MARIN Report, 2002
DK Group’s air lubricated Ro-Pax vessel undergoes rigorous testing but comes up trumps
Merel Plante, Cornel Thill & Frans van Walree, MARIN Report, 2001
MARIN plays key-role in HSF - ARCoS project
Frans van Walree, MARIN Report, 2001
Jos Koning, MARIN Report, 2006
Lashing@Sea JIP addresses the problem of containers lost at sea
Jos Koning, MARIN Report, 2005
Euroyards in the FASST lane...
Guilhem Gaillarde, MARIN Report, 2002
DK Group’s air lubricated Ro-Pax vessel undergoes rigorous testing but comes up trumps
Merel Plante, Cornel Thill & Frans van Walree, MARIN Report, 2001
MARIN plays key-role in HSF - ARCoS project
Frans van Walree, MARIN Report, 2001
Contact
For more information on how MARIN can help your organisation regarding ferries, please contact the Cruise and Ferry team at cruise-ferry@marin.nl
For more information on how MARIN can help your organisation regarding ferries, please contact the Cruise and Ferry team at cruise-ferry@marin.nl