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A Brief History of Air Cushion Vehicles in the Greek Maritime Industry
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Brief History
• 1960s• BD 680/1969, FEK 211 “Regulation for passenger ferries Air Cushion Vehicles”
• 1970s• Natouro I & II (HM2)• 1980s• PD 797, FEK 209Α 10/8/1981 “Regulation for the safety of dynamically supported craft”
• 1990s• Golden Olympics – Catamaran II (CIRR 120P)• Catamaran I (CIRR 120P)• Ntantos I• 2 x SAH 2200 for the Hellenic Coastguard (never delivered)
• GKL FEK 444Β 26/4/1999 “Fast and other leisure crafts”
• 2000s• 4 x Zubr for the Hellenic Navy• Sea Star (CIRR 120P)
Hellenic Hovercaft Lines
• 4 HM.2 hovercrafts were ordered, 2 delivered in ‘73 and the rest in ‘74
• A lot of publicity was given by the media before their arrival
• Exciting first impressions• Cut down the trip to Spetses from 4.30 to 1.50 hours• Due to problems with the engines and the fingers the other 2 crafts were never acquired and the line ceased operations
CIRR 120P Main Particulars
Builder BrødreneLength (m) 35.25Breadth (m) 11.50Draft (m) 2,10Passenger capacity 320Gross tonnage 271Max speed (kt) 55Service speed (kt) 49Constructionmaterial
GRP
The Beginning
• A. Vomvoyannis ordered 2 vessels• The first delivered in Feb 1990• Never granted operating license for the Cyclades
• The license was given to P.A.N.E. PeiraikiMaritime Company
• The shipyard terminated the covenant• Both crafts ended up under the ownership of P.A.N.E. in 1991
The Beginning of the End
• On Sept 1, 1992 Catamaran I, in an effort to pass a ferry before entering the Piraeus Port, crashed into the pier at a speed of 45 kt
• The ship was considered a total loss• The maritime community was surprised by the survivability of the vessel
• Hull breach of 20 x 2.5m, but the vessel did not sink• In 1995, the company went bankrupt, and Catamaran II was confiscated by Nedship Bank and sold to Navigargano
NTANTOS I Main Particulars
Builder Beliard PolyshipLength (m) 29.60Breadth (m) 10.80Draft (m) 1.70Passenger capacity 192Gross Tonnage 317Max speed (kt) 48Service speed (kt) 45Construction material GRP
The Unfortunate Life of NTANTOS I
• A.T. (Advanced Technology) Cruises ordered 5 vessels• Designed by Nigel Gee and built in Belgium• Only one delivered because the shipyard went bankrupt
• The first was built in 1993• The second one (Alexandros), although 90% complete, was never delivered
• No operating licenses were given for Argosaronikosand the Ionian Islands
The Unfortunate Life of NTANTOS I
• Entered service in 1994 and operated in the following lines:– Rhodes‐Turkey– Paxoi‐Corfu‐Brindisi– India (Bombay‐Goa)
• In 1995, on the way back to Greece, it hit a coral reef outside Jeddah
• Resumed operations in 1997 (Piraeus‐Vlora)• In 1998 Patra‐Vlora‐Brindisi• On Feb 14, 1999 hit a semisunk object in the Corfu Strait and
was seriously damaged• Not worth repairing—total loss and beached in Kynosoura• Completely destroyed by fire in Jan 2010
SAH 2200
In 1999, Jane’s High Speed Marine Transportation mentionedthat 2 SAH 2200 hovercrafts were ordered by the Hellenic CoastGuard, probably for the Olympic Games of 2004, but they werenever delivered.
Sea Star
• Another CIRR 120P SES was bought in 2003 by Tilos 21st Century Maritime Company and is in operation until now
• The craft was built in 1990 and the original name was White Bird
Zubr Crafts in the Hellenic Navy
• 4 crafts were ordered in 2000 (2 from Russia and 2 from Ukraine)
• The largest and most powerful hovercraft in the world
• 2 x multiple rocket launchers, 2 x AK‐630 30mm guns
• One of them withdrawn from service in 2010
Zubr Main Particulars
Builder AlmazLength (m) 57.60Breadth (m) 25.60AUW (tn) 550Payload capacity (tn) 130Max speed (kt) 65Propulsion power (kW) 26100Lift power (kW) 17400
The Future?
• Since 2005 there are rumors about the creation of a line connecting Piraeus with Crete by using WIGs
• Although there are several shipowners who expressed interest in the acquisition of such crafts, nothing has been yet realized.
• WIGs would be ideal for the connection of the islands with the mainland, filling the gap between aircrafts and traditional marine vessels