Oct 28, 2016

For Maritime Partner this will be the first catamaran and the first purpose built passenger vessel delivered by the company. It is very satisfactory to see that our ability for innovation generates expansion into new markets, says Rune Midtkandal, Area sales manager of Maritime Partner who signed the contract on behalf of the company, alongside Rune Øvstedal, who represents the 4^th generation of ferrymen for Gjende.

The Gjende Lake which is located 984 meters above sea level, is a popular tourist-destination and well known to everyone visiting the famous Besseggen ridge walk in Jotunheimen National Park. In the course of a short summer season the Gjende boats carry around 35 000 tourists across the Gjende Lake and with this new vessel they will increase their capacity substantially. 

- “We are very happy that Gjendebåtene selected us to provide them with this boat. The downturn in the offshore market has probably been greater than anyone could anticipate, which makes it all the better to see that our skilled employees are able to find new and exciting markets, and to employ the knowledge that we have acquired in the competitive offshore market to develop new types of vessels. The vessel design has been developed by Ola Lilloe Olsen and all engineering and outfitting is carried out at our facility in Norway,” says Peder R. Myklebust, CEO of Maritime Partner.

- “Although this is our first catamaran, it will hardly be the last,” says Sales & Marketing Director, Gisle Anderssen. “We have worked hard over time to develop new vessel designs and adapt to the new situation in the market. We see several segments where our new catamarans should prove very competitive. We have developed a clear strategy in order to compensate for the downturn in the offshore market, and we feel confident that we will succeed.”

The vessel has received the type-designation “ALUSAFE CAT 21,” and it is 21 meters in length and 6 meters wide. In order to deliver the vessel to the Gjende Lake, both the wheelhouse and the passenger cabin will be disassembled from the hull after being tested in Ålesund. The vessel will then be transported by boat to Sognefjorden, before continuing its special transport up to Gjende Lake