Colombo Dockyard Flags Off The First Ever Passenger Vessel Built To The Government Of India

Jan. 21, 2010 - PRLog -- Colombo Dockyard PLC delivered the first 250 Passenger cum 100 Ton Cargo Vessel built for the Administration of Union Territories of Lakshadweep, India on the 15th of January 2010. This vessel is  the first one of a series of two ocean going Passenger cum Cargo Vessels and will be in operation en-route from the Main Land (Cochin, India) to UTL Islands, as well as operate in the inter island routes. The highlight of this new vessel is that it is designed and built in using the latest developments in technology which makes it suitable for operation in the toughest weather conditions that may be encountered on the way, to the relief of thousands of commuters.

The flagging off of the Passenger Vessel Arabian Sea was ceremonially done by the Chief Guest for this historic event Hon. Jitendra Kumar Dadoo, the Administrator of the Union Territories of Lakshadweep, India. The flagging ceremony was attended by a distinguished gathering, amongst them the High commissioner of India in Sri Lanka HE. Ashok K Kantha, Foreign Secretary Mr. Romesh Jayasinghe, Mr. Mangala Yapa, MD/CEO & Mr. Akihiko Nakauchi, Chairman Colombo Dockyard PLC. The grand ceremony was witnessed by the proud and dedicated project team headed by Mr. Shantha Ratnayake – Special Projects Manager and the project team who were engaged tirelessly in delivering the vessel on schedule.

The inauguration of construction work on this vessel started off with a block assembly ceremony on 5th March 2008 with the participation of Honorable Administrator of the Union Territories of Lakshadweep. The steel construction work progressed expeditiously and the hull was launched on the 15th December 2008. However, this being a passenger ship required longer time to outfit her machinery and equipment due to the need to adhere to stringent quality control and safety procedures which will ensure the vessels appropriateness to be used for passenger transportation.

Throughout the period of construction of the vessel, consultants from the Shipping Corporation of India, Directorate of Shipping of India, Merchant Maritime Department visited and continuously monitored the progress and carried out numerous inspections according to their set procedures. As an ISO 9001:2000 certified company, Colombo Dockyard with its own superior quality control and quality assurance procedures in place, the company breezed through these stringent quality examinations.  

The significance of this project is that, this is the first time in the history of local shipbuilding industry that a Sri Lankan organization is building a ship for the Government of India.  We are indeed proud of the absolute confidence placed on Colombo Dockyard by the owner, counting on our three decades of experience and proven competencies in awarding this prestigious contract to us.
The Vessel design and her machineries…

The design of the Vessel was developed by a world renowned ship design firm, Larsen & Toubro Limited, e Engineering Solutions – Marine & Ship which is a Strategic Business Unit of Larsen & Toubro Limited of India fully customized to meet the exact requirements of the Owner and the Vessel was built and classed by Lloyds Register of Shipping and Indian Register of Shipping and statutory rules applicable for a vessel of this type.
The Vessel is powered by two Japanese made YANMAR 6 EY26 Main Engines each developing a propulsive power of 1950 kW, driving two Japanese made KAMOME CPR 65 AVCN Controllable Pitch Propellers. This combination provides a high level of maneuverability, optimum efficiency and cost effective operation for the Vessel, which will enable the owners to save thousands of dollars on fuel and maintenance cost.
The accommodation spaces in this Vessel consists of private space, office space, sanitary space, catering space and other spaces. The Passengers will have different categories of accommodation. There will be 2 VIP, 10 first class, 40 second class and 200 normal class passenger transportation facilities. All these passenger compartments are fully air conditioned using an air conditioning system consisting of central air handling unit and refrigerating plant, designed on the basis of environment friendly refrigerant chilled water system.  

Well equipped wheelhouse shall provide excellent visibility of the horizon, where the Master and the bridge crew will have unobtrusive view right around the vessel for ease of navigability. Navigation and communication electronic equipment are predominately supplied by European and Japanese Makers to increase reliability and to ensure uninterrupted spare part and service support during the life span of the vessel. The vessel so designed and equipped is a perfect blend of high tech and elegance and could be considered as one of the most eco-friendly vessels built by Colombo Dockyard during the recent past, which indeed is a positive feature considering the un-spoilt terrain of the Lakshadweep Administration which the vessel will be operating in.  
Due to the vessel’s slender outlines the vessel features very low fuel consumption and has outstanding maneuvering and sea keeping capabilities and also has low noise and vibration levels which increases the comfort of the passengers and crew of the vessel. The Vessel will be manned by a crew of 39 who will also be provided with comfortable and elegant living quarters matching the world standards available on a vessel of this class.  
Social and Economical Impact…

At a time where many industries were affected by the economic downturn, the shipbuilding industry in Sri Lanka, especially Colombo Dockyard managed to sail the rough times unscathed due to the virtuous management decision taken prior to the setting in of the downturn and beefing up our company order books with concrete contracts with solid and reliable customer base such as the Indian Government and many other top notch business magnates in the industry. These projects brought in much needed foreign exchange in to the company and the country and assisted in continuing without any break the employment opportunities we have generated for thousands of Sri Lankan youths in various disciplines of Shipbuilding.    

The Contract for the two vessels earned the country a revenue of US$ 36.6 million (Rs 4,172,400/-).

Historical and Political importance…
This project has enabled Colombo Dockyard to re-write the maritime history and surpassing yet another milestone in the maritime engineering further strengthening the long and cordial relationship both India and Sri Lanka. History reveals that Sri Lanka built its first sea going craft around the 1st century AD and during the reign of King Parakramabahu, had even sent a flotilla of ships to invade Burma and South India, denoting the high degree of skills and competencies the Sri Lankan craft men had in this field. It is also said that the shipbuilding industry in Sri Lanka had thrived and even having orders from foreign countries for Ships built in Sri Lanka.

The delivery of this vessel successfully to the Indian Government has strengthened the long and cordial relationship the two countries have enjoyed over the past.
It is true that every vessel that we build is special for us. Over the past three decades, we have built over 200 vessels for Maldives, India, Singapore, Cyprus, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia to various government and private clienteles. However this vessel draws a special significance, by this being the first ever Passenger Vessel built by Sri Lanka to India. The fact that the Indian Government has placed its utmost confidence in Colombo Dockyard to build these Passenger Vessels is a clear testimony of the maturity and the status that the company has achieved in the field of shipbuilding in the region. This achievement is the result of relentless pursuit of excellence, sweat and toil by the company staff over the past 35 years. This project can be considered as a project which rewrote the change.

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Colombo Dockyard PLC is the island's leading Ship repair, Shipbuilding and Heavy Engineering facility, conveniently located inside the very Port of Colombo operates 4 graving dry-docks with a maximum capacity of 125,000 Dwt.