VESSEL REVIEW | Granit – Low-emission shuttle boat delivered to Swedish hotel operator

Lotshotellet Karingon, a boutique hotel situated on the small island of Karingon in the Swedish archipelago of Gothenburg, has begun operating a workboat built by German shipyard AluForce.

The welded aluminium, deep V-hulled Granit ("Granite") will be used primarily to transport guests to and from the hotel, particularly within the period from late April to mid-December each year.

The newbuild has an LOA of 8.92 metres, a beam of 2.55 metres, a draught of only 0.52 metres, a minimum displacement of 1,950 kilograms, and a main cabin that can accommodate nine passengers and a coxswain. For enhanced safety, the cabin has 0.73-metre-high walls and the railings are 0.15 metres higher than on other vessels of similar size.

The main cabin also has space for a toilet and assorted payloads totalling 1,200 kilograms. Forward of the helm station is an accommodation area with four berths.

An offshore bracket allows the boat to lie about 0.8 metres longer in the water. AluForce remarked that this facilitates stable and fast running even in heavy, rough waters.

Power is provided by an OXE Marine OXE300 outboard engine that is mounted on the aft transom and is configured to run on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as a low-emission alternative to diesel. The fuel is fed from a 400-litre tank.

Lotshotellet said that, compared to its earlier guest transport boat, the propulsion on Granit ensures up to 94 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions and 99 per cent fewer carbon emissions. The use of HVO helps preserve the marine environment in and around Karingon, an island known for its seafood and tourism industries.

During the summer months, the boat may also be operated on excursions for wildlife watching, watersports, recreational fishing, and nighttime dinner cruises just off Karingon.