The introduction of high-speed ferries into the Eastern Mediterranean

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Description/Abstract

High-speed ferries have established themselves in many commuter and short-sea routes all
over the world. While in the case of commuter services fast ferries commonly compete with
alternative land transport modes, in the case of short-sea routes competition is usually
limited to conventional ferries and, in some cases, aeroplanes. This allows a more direct
comparison and investigation into the prospects of introducing high-speed services in new
routes. The paper discusses the implications of establishing a new service in this context
and the factors that influence the design of vessels suitable for this role. A case study is
presented which concerns the design of a high-speed SWATH car/passenger ferry for a
route between Greece and Italy. Finally, the example of a high-speed catamaran
car/passenger ferry which was recently introduced into the Greek inter-island network is
used for comparison and for a validation of the points made in the paper.