Ferries play an important role in public transport in Stockholm. Now Candela has presented the launch of a hydrofoil ferry. The ship is called the P-12 Ferry. The number 12 indicates the length. From the design it is a catamaran. Above the two hulls rises the cabin for 30 people. The wings are attached under the fuselage. At low speeds, the ferry cruises on the hulls, accelerates them, the underwater wings push the hull over the water. This is the only way to achieve high speeds with the short length of the boat.
As fast as a warship
The maximum speed is 30 knots, that is 55 km/h. Only warships are that fast. The ferry’s two electric drives are located in nacelles beneath the ship, alongside the three carbon-fiber wings. The special feature of the wings: They are adjusted 100 times per second by a computer, so the boat should move without vibration despite the speed. “There is no other ship that has this type of active electronic stabilization,” Candela said. “Aboard the P-12 shuttle in rough seas feels more like a modern express train than a ship: it’s calm, smooth and stable.”
This trick is also a condition for operation. The P-12 does not produce waves at the stern. A conventionally built ship may only sail very slowly in the port area. The P-12 was exempted from the usual 12-knot speed limit, “it can fly into the city center without damaging other ships or sensitive coasts”. With an operating speed of 25 knots, the ship’s battery should enable a range of up to 111 kilometers. At the dock, it can be recharged in less than an hour. The first ferries will start test operations next year. Then commuters can come from the Stockholm suburb of Ekerö to the city center. Candela’s vision is to replace the old, large diesel ferries with small e-boats. Boats like P-12 would be faster than all other means of transport and could also significantly improve the frequency of water connections.