State Leasing Company has started the process of transferring the ferry “Aleksandr Deyev” to Sakhalin Passenger Fleet, the Sakhalin Oblast government press office said in a statement.
The newly built state of the art vessel is to come into service this year and will be deployed on the Kholmsk – Vanino route proving a reliable connection between the island of Sakhalin and the mainland.
The “Aleksandr Deyev” has a higher ice notation, can operate year-round and transport 1.5-timer more cargo and twice more passengers that the previous generation of ferries.
At present, a sistership of higher the “Aleksandr Deyev”, the ferry “Vassily Oschepkov” is under construction.
The ferry service is vital for Sakhalin, ferries carry up to 40% of all the cargoes designated for the island. But the vessels currently deployed are more than 30 years old.
Photo: United Shipbuilding Corporation