But once the work permit rules relating to French nationals working in Switzerland were changed, the daily commuting traffic increased and demand for the cross-lake ferry trip grew quickly. As a result, ferry operating company CGN Navibus realised it had to increase the speed and frequency of its daily ferry crossings.

French yard SEEM (north of Nantes) was approached to build a specially designed 22m high speed ferry that would carry 120 passengers. The design had to satisfy the Swiss authorities that it would be low wash and therefore eco-friendly, so twin Hamilton HM521 jet units were specified. These are driven by twin C32 1,045 kW engines and controlled by Hamilton Jet’s unique modular electronic control system (MECS). This is a commercial version of Hamilton Jet’s Blue Arrow manoeuvring system, and can control multiple jet units simultaneously as well as offering multi-station operation. In simple terms, MECS means that wherever the joystick is pointed, the boat goes, even reducing or increasing engine revs as necessary to complete a complicated manoeuvre.

The ferry itself is aluminium, and the hull, deck and superstructure were made as three separate parts  then trucked as individual loads across the mountains. The vessel was finally assembled and launched on the lake at Amphion near Evian.

Hamilton Jet UK did not only supply the Waterjets, it trained the ferry crews on how to operate the boat and maintain the units. HJ UK’s training facility is an important part of the overall company service. In this instance, training was stipulated by the Swiss transport authority (DETEC) as a condition of permission being given for the new high speed ferry to operate on Lake Geneva. So CGN Navibus’ ferry skippers had an intensive three day course on Hamilton Jet UK’s simulator, followed by 21 days training on the ferry itself. HJ UK liaised closely with the Swiss DETEC throughout, and at the end of the training process the skippers took and passed the relevant test, which satisfied the DETEC’s requirements.

Now fully operational, the new Hamilton Jet propelled 22 m ferry has halved the time of the trip. In the first three months of operation over 60,000 passengers used the service. It has proved such a success that a second boat has been ordered and has now been delivered.