Higashi blames high fuel costs for scrapping fast ferry service

Keith Wallis, Hong Kong - Tuesday 7 October 2008

SOARING fuel costs coupled with weak passenger demand have scuppered a fast ferry service in Japan using two high-speed wave piercing catamarans just five months after the second vessel was delivered to Higashi Nihon Ferry. 

The move was confirmed by senior Higashi Nihon Ferry official, Y Sumiya, who said services would stop at the end of this month. 

Speaking at the 33rd Interferry annual conference in Hong Kong, Mr Sumiya said there were three major issues that killed the service across the Tsugaru Strait between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido in northern Japan. 

The first was the high fuel cost. 

Secondly, Japan’s biggest passenger ship operator miscalculated the number of passengers that would use the ferries. Mr Sumiya said actual passenger numbers were about a third of the number forecast. 

By comparison, the 112m long, 10,841 gt vessels, Natchan Rera and Natchan World that were both built by Incat in Hobart, Australia, can each carry about 800 passengers. 

He said the third issue was related to Japan itself. Mr Sumiya said: “Maybe it was too early for us to introduce” such a service and added there were issues with Japanese regulations and customs. 

Robert Clifford, Incat chairman, added that local fishermen “were less than co-operative.” 

Mr Clifford also pointed out that the original idea was for the 40 knot ferries, which operate a 96km long service between Hakodate and Aomori, to carry trucks. But truckers have shunned the ferries because they only offer a two-hour break against the four-hour rest required by lorry drivers. 

Mr Sumiya did not say what would happen to the two ships, although it is assumed they will be redeployed on other services operated by Higashi Nihon Ferry. 

He was adamant that the “reason for stopping operations was not due to the performance of the Incat craft”. 

The Natchan Rera was the first to enter service on September 1 last year, while the Natchan World began revenue earning services five months ago on May 2. 

Aside from carrying 800 passengers, the vessels can carry 355 cars, or 450 lane metres of trucks and 193 cars. 

The Natchan World was almost identical to the Natchan Rera, although the ship features small booth style compartments for two to four passengers instead of individual seats allowing travellers to lie down.
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