Talking Point: Days of Vomit Comet and Spew Cat are long gone

Like the first planes crossing between Melbourne and Hobart, perhaps the SeaCat was a little small for the Bass Strait, but lessons learned have benefited millions of travellers across the world, writes Incat boss Tim Burnell.

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SPEW Cat and Vomit Comet — nicknames for the first Incat Tasmania vessel to operate on Bass Strait 30 years ago.

Like the bullied schoolchild, where sticks and stones can break bones yet words cannot hurt, the young, small Incat Tasmania (and our boats) grew bigger and, since 1990, has sold more than 50 large high speed Ro-Pax ferries, to all parts of the globe.

The Incat Tasmania successes have led to many other companies following suit, such that Australia really is the world leader in aluminium ferries.

What Australia is not is a world leader in the design and construction of large steel Ro-Pax ferries.

In fact, Australia has not built a large steel monohull ferry for more than 50 years.

Incat cat nearing completion for delivery to Trinidad and Tobago.

The SeaCat operated on Bass Strait in 1990 — before most of us had mobile phones, before hoverboards, driverless cars, Dreamliners and A380 aeroplanes.

Much like the rest of the world, the fast ferry industry was very different 30 years ago.

At that time, no one had built a car-carrying fast ferry outside of Tasmania.

Like the first planes crossing between Melbourne and Hobart, perhaps the SeaCat was a little small for Bass Strait, however, she was pioneering and the lessons learned have benefited millions of travellers across the world in the three decades since, although, strangely, not travellers to or from Tasmania.

The SeaCat in 1996. Picture: TONY PALMER

In the 30 years since the SeaCat, there have been 162 large aluminium ferries delivered throughout the world and the technological advances have been greater in the aluminium multihull high-speed ferry sector than any other sector of the marine industry.

There are a number of design aspects that affect passenger comfort including length, speed, beam and weight of the vessel.

The SeaCat had a waterline length of 59m. It would fit through the main span of the Tasman Bridge sideways.

Vessels constructed by Incat Tasmania today have waterline lengths well in excess of 100m and we have concept designs of more than 180m. They are wider, they have three to five times more volume and they carry more than five times the payload.

When the SeaCat, ran on Bass Strait, it operated at twice the speed of the incumbent conventional ferries.

This performance, when coupled with the relatively small size of the vessel made it uncomfortable for some, and undoubtedly contributed to its nicknames.

Thankfully, the size of today’s Incat Tasmania’s vessel along with the technological advancements in motion control will consign such monikers to history.

We design and build our vessels from the keel up, in Tasmania, by highly skilled Tasmanians and 100 per cent of the vessel construction is carried out in Tasmania. More than 76 per cent of the work is in manufacturing the hull and structure alone. The remaining 24 per cent is spread across mechanical, electrical, electronic and interior fit-out trades.

At Incat Tasmania we fabricate our interior fit-out, on site. On the majority of large overnight ferries, fitted out with passenger cabins, these cabins are often prefabricated in Asia and simply placed into the vessel.

The Devil Cat in 1998. Picture: TONY PALMER

We know as well as anyone that the cost of manufacturing in Australia is substantially more than other parts of the world, especially Asia.

This is mainly due to the cost of living, however, also due to the strict safety regulations, compliance, taxes and superannuation benefits.

We are finding it more and more difficult to compete with shipyards based in the Philippines and Vietnam, however remain committed to our workforce

We also believe that the astute customer appreciates an Australian-built product and the quality of our highly skilled, local team.

All at Incat Tasmania believe we have a number of viable solutions for not only TT Line, but for all Tasmanians:

It will be at least 300 per cent larger than the Seacat.

Does it need to be faster than SeaCat?

We love speed but perhaps not. Or perhaps why not faster?

Our South American customer races airlines from Argentina to Uruguay.

When the Bass Strait decision comes, whatever decision that is, it should start with world’s best because Tasmania deserves nothing less.

Incat chief executive Tim Burnell has worked in the ferry and marine industry for more than 25 years, has held world sailing records, and was a crew member on the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean on a commercial passenger ship (which was built by Incat).