On Friday, January 10, a simultaneous christening and launching ceremony was held for the second of two Ro-Pax vessels in a series ordered by Japanese operator Hankyu Ferry from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
The new vessel, named Yamato, will be handed over in June 2020 after completion of rigging work. Together with the simultaneously ordered sister vessel Settsu, which was christened and launched last August, Yamato will serve Hankyu's Shinmoji-Kobe route.
The ferry is currently under construction at Mitsubishi's Shimonoseki Shipyard and Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
As with Settsu, Yamato has a length of 195 metres, a beam of 29.6 metres, and a draught of 6.7 metres. It will have capacity for 663 passengers and up to 465 vehicles once completed.