New double-ended ferry on Upper Arrow Lake in Canada

The 97m-long and 20m-wide ferry will operate 7,000 hours a year and will replace two ferries built in the 1960s upon its delivery in 2014. With its ability to transport 250 passengers and 80 cars, it has more than twice the capacity of the previous ferries. It is being built in Nakusp on the Upper Arrow Lake where Waterbridge Steel Inc specifically constructed a shipyard.
Waterbridge has ordered three Voith Schneider Propellers (VSPs) of the type 18R5 EC/150-1 for the new ferry. Two VSPs will be arranged diagonally in the ship; the third will be used as a spare. Robust stainless-steel propeller blades ensure reliable propulsion, even if the VSP are subject to hard impacts from driftwood or ice.
In addition to the VSP, Voith will supply two turbocouplings as well as the propeller control system for the project in July 2013. The couplings ensure soft start-up of the diesel engines and dampen any torsional vibrations. The combination mode integrated into the control system ensures that the operator achieves a reduction in fuel consumption. When running in combination mode, propeller pitch and engine speed are optimised for maximum efficiency, according to Voith.