MANILA, Philippines - Batangas-based shipping firm Starlite Ferries Inc. recently unveiled its third brand-new Roll-On Roll-Off (RoRo)vessel from a reputable Japanese shipbuilder at the Sta. ClaraPier, Batangas City, Batangas.
The brand new vessel – named M/V Starlite Eagle – is the third among five new ships, part of a modernized fleet that caps the modernization push of Starlite Ferries, a wholly Filipino-owned RoRo shipping company striving to be the preferred choice by being ahead in safety, always mindful of the needs of the riding public.
The newest addition to Starlite’s floating inventory, M/V Starlite Eagle is an all-steel RoRo vessel designed specifically for Philippine waters. It was built from the ground up at the Kegoya Dockyards in Kure, near Hiroshima in Japan. The legendary Japanese battleship, the Yamato, pride of the Japanese Imperial Navy during WWII, was built in the shipyards of Kure.
The Starlite Eagle was designed with a rounded hull that rests deeper in the water for greater stability and a bulbous bow that cuts through waves more efficiently. Compared to older ferries navigating local waters today, Starlite Eagle and its family of new ferries boast of a speed of 13.5 knots (versus the older ferries’ capability of only 11 knots), which means faster trips. Like the earlier two ferries, the Eagle will ply the Roxas to Caticlan/Boracay route.
The Starlite Eagle can carry more than 700 passengers, over 100 in business class, 325 in business class and 250 in economy class. It can also accommodate more than 20 passenger buses. The first class features an air-conditioned cabin, complete with luxurious reclining seats with armrest. The business class offers air-conditioned quarters equipped with self-closing semi-automatic doors. Budget travellers can choose economy class.
Apart from the usual amenities in a typical RoRo, the ship has an elevator for handicapped passengers, a room with beds for passengers with medical conditions, a room for breastfeeding mothers, and a playpen for kids. Safety features include adequate lifejackets and lifeboats, luminous signs in entry and exit points, self-igniting lights, rocket parachute flares and a general fire alarm.