to the main passenger cabin, is fitted with two Hi-Tech
Plastics adjustable shock riding helm seats for the skipper
and crew members.
Within the interior of the vessel some effort has been taken to
reduce the tropic glare with the soft off white-grey in the cabin
and charcoal on the for'ard screen around the pilot station. The
helm station and controls have been well laid out in a functional
manner, from the small helm to throttle and bucket controls
when in manual and the blue ARROW mouse boat at ease of
hand when standing while manoeuvring. The electronics are
basic and suitable for the job. Remember, this is essentially a
fast bus on water so the Furuno electronic package includes
radar, chart plotter and sounder to assist the skipper in keeping
the vessel safe. All engine instrumentation and the main switch
panels are in a good line of sight or at ease of hand.
To the portside of the pilot station on the crew side is the
access door to the small foredeck for berthing or anchoring. The
main screen windows, quarter lites and watertight screen door
supplied by SeaMac marine joiners, are fitted with Wynn screen
wipers to beat off the occasional monsoon drenching. There is
also reasonable space on the aft deck for freight as well as the
passenger heads.
Yanmar power below
Above all, it is excellent to see another
Kiwi export and a fine example of
New Zealand boat building skills
While the hulls above the waterline are left in natural alloy, the
cabin, roof and interior have been painted using the international
two pot paint systems.
In the case of an emergency, besides passenger life jackets,
there are two RFD16 man life rafts carried on board.
Once underway, Aniolam Express performed better than
expected and quickly kicked up her heels and was on the plane
in no time. With a design service speed of 35 knots achievable
and consuming 100lts per hour, this small ferry is a fast water
taxi. It just scarpers along as the foil offers immediate lift and
relief from hull drag – while still offering a soft ride. Given the
distances the ferry must cover between stops we can understand
the need for speed in returning these workers home after a hard
shift in the mines.
Above all, it is excellent to see another Kiwi export and a fine
example of New Zealand boat building skills. We have no doubt
that the Aniolam Express will be fit for purpose and serve
her mining community well.
S P E C I F I C AT I O NS
Owner N ewcrest Mining Limited
Designer
Teknicraft Design Ltd
Builder
Q-West Boat Builders Limited
LOA
13.0m
Beam
4.6m
Draft
0.75m
Power
Twin Yanmar 6CXBM-GT 341kW marine diesels
Propulsion
Twin Hamilton HJ322 water jets with blue ARROW
Passengers
24
Service speed
35 knots
Fuel Capacity
1400 litres
Survey
Australian NSCV, Service Category Class 1C,
Category F2 Fast Craft
VIP.S94
2A Gilberd Street
PO Box 862
Wanganui 4501
NEW ZEALAND
E X C E L L E N C E
'Lady Elizabeth IV'
'Aniolam Express'
I N
Phone: + 64 6 349 0035
Fax: + 64 6 344 3592
Email: sales@q-west.co.nz
Website: www.q-west.com
A L L O Y
'Clipper IV'
'Arataki'
MANUFACTURERS OF CUSTOM ALUMINIUM VESSELS
www.skipper.co.nz
July/August 2013
Professional Skipper 15
