Teknicraft has been commissioned to design a new commuter ferry for operation on the Tapajos River in Northern Brazil. The operation, based in Sentarem, will eventually acquire a number of these catamarans to service the many villages along the Amazon and Tapajos rivers.

The vessel is fitted with waterjets providing minimal draft and capability to berth at jetties in shallow water on the rivers edge. Since the distances between the villages are significant and the daily commute could be as much as 300 nm, a fixed hydrofoil is to be fitted to increase speed and reduce fuel consumption.

To reduce construction and transportation cost the vessels will be built on the Amazon River, utilising local labour and using mostly Brazilian produced materials and equipment, such as the Scania DI12 propulsion engines.

Specifications: Length (OA): 15.0m (49.2ft) Beam: 5.5m (18.0ft) Draft: 0.75m (2.5ft) Engines: 2 x Scania DI12-60M Rating: 386kW (518bhp) @2100rpm Propulsion: 2 x HamiltonJet HJ364 Speed: 25 knots (service) 30 knots (maximum) Passengers: 50 Construction: Aluminium Builder: Estaleiro RGS Ltda, Brazil