VESSEL REVIEW | Dawanqu No 2 – Sightseeing catamaran for Macao-Shenzhen route

China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) recently handed over a new luxury sightseeing catamaran vessel to sister company China Merchants Shekou.

Dawanqu No 2 ("Greater Bay Area No 2") was built at CMHI's Haimen shipyard for China Merchants Shekou subsidiary China Merchants Xunlong, which operates under the Shenzhen Xunlong Shipping brand.

Designed by Netherlands-based CoCo Yachts in compliance to China Classification Society (CCS) rules, the vessel has mixed steel and aluminium construction, a length of 71.95 metres, a beam of 18.72 metres, and capacity for 350 passengers. A hybrid propulsion system consisting of diesel generators and lithium-ion batteries can deliver an operating speed of 14 knots. Sailing can be performed in either hybrid or fully electric mode, which is in line with the owners' aim of minimising pollution and noise emissions.

Although possessing the same hull dimensions as its sister vessel, the newer catamaran features a more spacious interior layout, particularly in its VIP function areas. The use of panoramic windows makes these areas of the vessel ideal venues for private events such as weddings, exhibitions, conferences, study tours, and simple business meetings.

Among the more notable facilities found on board is a marine laboratory and lecture hall where passengers can expand their knowledge of the numerous flora and fauna that thrive in the waters of its area of operation.

Work on the interior spaces was provided by North Sea Offshore. This covered the design, engineering, material delivery, project management, and installation of the interior and exterior spaces including the sightseeing and leisure areas, retail shops, a theatre, the VIP lounges, an observation room, out-deck and top-deck areas, dining areas, and indoor and outdoor bars.

Dawanqu No 2 also comes equipped with CMHI's proprietary ship-to-shore integrated operation and maintenance interface. With the aid of this system, a human operator at a shore control station can monitor the vessel's status in real-time. If necessary, the shore-based operator can immediately advise the vessel's bridge crew of any issues pertaining to the propulsion system, thereby allowing the crew to adjust speed and other sailing parameters accordingly. This setup can help prevent too much strain from being placed on the propulsion and can even aid in the scheduling of maintenance to minimise downtimes.

Dawanqu No 2 has already begun operating on both sightseeing and commuter ferry services between Macao and the Shekou district of Shenzhen alongside its earlier sister Dawanqu No 1. The vessel's other assigned route will encompass its namesake area, the Dawan District or Greater Bay Area that sits between Macao, Hong Kong, and Guangdong.

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