The first is a RoPax ferry (to carry passengers and freight vehicles), which has now gone into in operation in French Polynesia. The TEREVAU PITI, is 78 meters long by 17 meters in the beam, and is designed to accommodate 700 passengers, as well as having 500 lane meters of space for freight vehicles. Commissioned by SNGV 2 Moorea, a ferry operator based in Papeete, it will substantially enhance the company's potential to carry tourists and goods between Tahiti and other islands in the archipelago, including Bora Bora.

The ferry was built on the slipways at Astilleros Armón in Vigo. Oliver Design took charge of designing and outfitting out the 2,000 square metres of interiors and exterior terraces for passengers and crew. The work took nine months to complete, concluding in March 2021, and included outfitting work on four decks: the engine control room, changing room, workshops, laundry, and six twin cabins on the lower deck; the bridge on the upper deck; and on the two intermediary decks, the passenger access areas and aft lounge with a 150-seat terrace, plus four officers' cabins, crew's mess, VIP lounge with bar and terrace and two cabins, as well as another 190-seater passenger terrace. The work by the Spanish naval design firm features maximum passenger comfort and a local design style.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
The second contract delivered by Oliver Design during the first quarter of the year forms part of an innovative new sustainable project: the ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, a new Baleària ferry which is now in service on the route between Denia (Alicante) and the Balearic ports of Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca. It is the world's first fast ferry to be powered by natural gas engines, substantially reducing emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. With a catamaran hull built entirely in aluminium, the large vessel (123 meters long by 28 meters in the beam), can accommodate 1,200 passengers and 1,900 lane metres of freight vehicles.

Oliver Design's contribution consisted of designing and fitting out more than 2,200 square metres of interiors. The work was completed in just nine months –from July 2020 to March 2021– at Astilleros Armón in Gijón. The contract also extended to the main crew and passenger quarters: bridge, office, laundry, lounge and cabins for the crew; and for passengers, a reception area, three large lounges (seating 310, 600 and 290 people respectively) a VIP lounge, self-service canteen, crèche and a large terrace with a bar and a fibreglass replica of a gastro-van.

Following an intense first quarter, OLIVER DESIGN is now facing into the rest of the year with good prospects, despite the prevailing uncertainty. As CEO Iñigo Oliver notes: “Right now, most shipowners are on stand-by, waiting to see how the pandemic pans out. In our specific case, we are confident that we can complete our order book with a major project before the end of the year”.