New vessel to boost Incat’s presence in Port Phillip Bay

As Hobart continues to debate whether we should have commuter ferries on the Derwent, the city’s best-known ship builder is working on a new fast ferry to serve Geelong.

Port Phillip Ferries’ Bellarine Express will soon be joined by another Incat vessel. Picture: INCAT

AS Hobart continues to debate whether we should have commuter ferries on the Derwent, the city’s best-known ship builder is working on a new fast ferry to serve Geelong.

The Geelong Flyer, built by Incat, will commence a fast ferry service between Geelong and Melbourne in December.

The 400-seat Geelong Flyer will run a twice daily service, connecting Geelong commuters and leisure travellers with Victoria Harbour, Docklands.

Port Phillip Ferries owner Paul Little said the company had been working closely with Incat on a purpose-built ferry for the service.

Incat also built the company’s existing ferry, Bellarine Express, which services the Portarlington to Docklands route.

“Port Phillip Ferries are excited by and are looking forward to launching the Geelong Flyer in late-2019. This service will not only benefit daily commuters, and offer an alternative to train and road travel, but it will provide a huge benefit for tourism and business in the Geelong region,” Mr Little said.

“Since our successful trials last year, we have been working closely with the team at Incat to build a new ferry that will delight the expectations of our passengers. The 400-seat catamaran will feature indoor and outdoor spaces, an on-board licensed cafe, bike racks, charging stations and free wi-fi.”