One million dollar speedboat designed by Vietnamese engineers
Scientists say that designing and manufacturing catamarans and trimarans is within the capability of Vietnamese engineers. In fact, Vietnamese shipbuilding engineers have already designed a speedboat worth nearly US$1 million.
Tran Song Hai, general director of Greenline DP, the shipbuilder, said the catamaran is 16.6 meters long and has a capacity of 1,200 CV.
The boat can carry 60 passengers and run at a speed of 55-60 kilometers per hour. The speedboat is expected to be put into use to carry passengers to replace old hydrofoils this November.
According to the shipbuilder, the great advantage of the ship is that it does not shake much, thus protecting passengers from seasickness, while not affecting the other means of transport on the river.
The speedboat was made of imported materials. With a production cost at US$1 million, the ship is much cheaper than imports, just 1/3 of the price of products of the same kind sourced from Europe.
Vuong Chi Dan, a shipbuilding engineer from the Vietnam Mechanical Engineering Society, said that Vietnamese engineers were technically capable of designing and manufacturing ships like this.
Dan said Vietnam once made a catamaran in Tam Bac in Hai Phong. The modern ship made by Greenline DP was not a surprise, he said.
Hoang Hung from the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Science & Technology Society also said that the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Science Institute designed a catamaran and trimaran which were larger and longer than that made by Greenline DP in the 1970s.
“Vietnamese engineers are quite capable of designing ships. However, we still have to import materials to make them,” he said.
The most important work is the assembling of the two hulls. “It is necessary to put them together in a right way, so that the big ship can have the strength to resist wind and waves. If the two parts of the ship cannot be connected in the right way, it will be snapped in half in a strong wave,” he said.
As there are two hulls, two engines are needed. However, there is only one controlling unit to regulate the ship. Therefore, engineers need to design the ship in a way so that the two engines have the same speed.
The advantage of a catamaran is that it has two hulls, and has a large space for goods and passengers, while the disadvantage is that its storm resistance is weaker than other ships.
The boat can carry 60 passengers and run at a speed of 55-60 kilometers per hour. The speedboat is expected to be put into use to carry passengers to replace old hydrofoils this November.
According to the shipbuilder, the great advantage of the ship is that it does not shake much, thus protecting passengers from seasickness, while not affecting the other means of transport on the river.
The speedboat was made of imported materials. With a production cost at US$1 million, the ship is much cheaper than imports, just 1/3 of the price of products of the same kind sourced from Europe.
Vuong Chi Dan, a shipbuilding engineer from the Vietnam Mechanical Engineering Society, said that Vietnamese engineers were technically capable of designing and manufacturing ships like this.
Hoang Hung from the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Science & Technology Society also said that the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Science Institute designed a catamaran and trimaran which were larger and longer than that made by Greenline DP in the 1970s.
“Vietnamese engineers are quite capable of designing ships. However, we still have to import materials to make them,” he said.
The most important work is the assembling of the two hulls. “It is necessary to put them together in a right way, so that the big ship can have the strength to resist wind and waves. If the two parts of the ship cannot be connected in the right way, it will be snapped in half in a strong wave,” he said.
As there are two hulls, two engines are needed. However, there is only one controlling unit to regulate the ship. Therefore, engineers need to design the ship in a way so that the two engines have the same speed.
The advantage of a catamaran is that it has two hulls, and has a large space for goods and passengers, while the disadvantage is that its storm resistance is weaker than other ships.