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Sri Lanka’s first passenger ship! :
A-sailing on the ‘Arabian Sea’
by Nilma Dole
Travel is not just about
visiting places but also about getting there in grand style. One of the
best examples of travelling in style comes in the form of the 250
passenger cum 100 T cargo vessel, the Arabian Sea. Built by Sri Lankas
Colombo Dockyard (CDL) in a span of just 32 months, this ship will be
taking passengers between the islands of Union Territories of Lakshadeep
and the Mainland of India.
 The state-of-the-art vessel was designed by world-renowned Larsen and
Toubro Limited. Getting the look and feel of the ship, the passengers
are allocated into 2 VIP cabins, 10 first class, 40 second class and 200
normal class cabins. The winning tender had some stiff competition from
other neighbouring countries but Sri Lankas Dockyard managed to secure
it with their expertise and professionalism.
With a whopping length of 89 metres, and a speed of 16 knots with a
deadweight of 725 tonnes, the Arabian Sea is definitely a ship worth the
wait. “The special aspect of this ship is that it meets all the required
standards and guidelines with an IMO, SOLAS, Special Trade Passenger
Ship Rules of the Indian Flag Administration and is dual classed by the
Indian Register of Shipping and Lloyd Register of Shipping
certifications.
The M.V.Arabian Sea is the first of a set of two ocean travelling and
cargo vessels making it the first passenger vessel ever built by the
Colombo Dockyard. Says Mangala Yapa, CDLs CEO “At a time when economic
recession has hampered the industry, we have managed to brave the storm
and swim over the waves to make deliver the ship on time.” He further
added, “It has been the sheer dedication and tireless efforts of all the
Sri Lankan workers behind the scenes and the designing of the Indian
experts to join together with us and make this a dream come true.”
The Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Alok Prasad, notable Indian
officials, distinguished diplomat Romesh Jayasinghe and Sri Lankan
representations were made to grace this milestone occasion. The ship was
flagged off in splendid style with coloured pennants and balloon pop-ups
of the Sri Lanka and Indian flags in great unity. Sri Lanka has blessed
India with a beautiful Arabian Sea to help them brave the storm and get
to their destination. |
