Morlenn Express Takes Delivery of 400-Passenger Wave-Piercing Catamaran Bindy II

Armon Shipyard in Spain handed over Bindy II to Brittany-based operator Morlenn Express today, completing a project that began in 2023 when the Sogestran Group subsidiary retained French naval architect MAURIC and placed the build order as part of a fleet renewal strategy. The 29.9-metre wave-piercing aluminium catamaran is designed to carry 400 passengers at a service speed of 20 knots, sitting just inside the under-30-metre threshold that shaped several of the key regulatory and design decisions.

MAURIC was brought in from the earliest stages of the project to run concept studies across multiple hull forms and vessel configurations, all benchmarked against the latest European directive on passenger vessels. The catamaran configuration ultimately won out, chosen for what the design office described as the best balance between passenger capacity, service speed, and seakeeping performance for Morlenn Express's coastal Brittany operations. The 10.7-metre beam gives Bindy II a notably wide stance for her length, contributing to the stability that wave-piercing geometry alone cannot always guarantee in Atlantic coastal conditions.

Translating a wave-piercer hull form into all-aluminium construction presented real fabrication challenges at Armon. The shipyard's solution centred on extruded aluminium deck panels incorporating very thin plating and stiffeners, a construction technique that delivered significant structural weight savings and, in turn, reduced fuel consumption. Combined with hydrodynamic optimisation of the hull lines and propulsion arrangement, the result is notably low installed power relative to the vessel's capacity. MAURIC states that daily fuel consumption is substantially reduced compared to the previous generation of vessels Bindy II is set to replace, though no absolute burn figures have been published.

The main engines are IMO Tier III-certified, with compliance achieved through the integration of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system, satisfying both the international emissions standard and the European regulatory framework that drove the concept work from the outset.

Named in a project photograph at handover were Captain Christophe Le Pen, who will take the helm of Bindy II; Léo Mouillé, project manager for Groupe Sogestran; Franck Le Biannic, director of Sogestran Company; Christophe Cariou, technical manager of Sogestran Company; and Fabrice Ghozlan, sales and business development director at MAURIC.

François Sébilo, managing director of MAURIC, framed the delivery in the context of the firm's wider shipowner support model: "The delivery of Bindy II is a fine demonstration of Mauric's ability to support shipowners throughout their fleet renewal program, from initial concept through to detailed design, in order to deliver vessels with improved fuel efficiency and better commercial performance. For Morlenn Express and the Sogestran Group, this new generation of vessels entering service is reliable, comfortable, high-performing and more ecofriendly."

Imagery of the completed vessel has been credited to photographers G Mignot and SNX Air Films. Specific routes, commercial service start dates, and engine specifications have not yet been confirmed publicly.