Marine case studies
Perkins M185C engines power Croatian water taxi
Perkins M185C engines power the water taxi operating between the island of Rab, the mainland port of Jablanac and the islands of Krk and Pag in Croatia. The 6 cylinder, 6 litre Perkins marine engines have proven to be highly reliable, have a low cost of ownership, operate with low emissions and with low noise and vibration. The vessel’s operator, Taxi Prijevoz Na Moru has found Perkins engines to exceed all expectations.
A pair of Perkins M185C engines powers the 100 passenger water taxi operating along the historic and picturesque shores of the northern Croatian island of Rab in the Adriatic Sea.
The ferry connects the island with the mainland port of Jablanac and to the neighbouring islands of Krk and Pag.
The wastegated turbocharger, charge-air-cooled, 6 cylinder, 6 litre Perkins engines deliver maximum power at a comfortable 2400 rpm. They are coupled to ZF 280-1A 2.467:1 ratio marine gearboxes to give a cruising speed of nine knots and top speed of 14 knots.
The engines were supplied by Perkins marine distributor BU Sistemi d.o.o.
With up to 100 fare-paying passengers per trip, nothing short of 100 percent reliability was acceptable to the vessel’s operator, Taxi Prijevoz Na Moru.
In order to maintain the company’s profitability, low cost of ownership was also essential.
With a marine pleasure craft, whether for paying passengers or private operation, comes a need for low emissions so that passengers can appreciate their surroundings in peace and tranquillity,without the deafening sound or shuddering of engines.
The Perkins M185C engines scored highly on all counts– reliability, low cost of ownership, low noise and low vibration. The engines are economical, using 500 litres of fuel in 70 hours of working.
The water taxi, which the operator found was quick to respond and had fantastic manoeuvrability, entered service in 2012 and the operator is confident of recovering the original cost of the engines through savings in costs.
“The original criteria for selecting this particular model (of engine) included reliability, low cost of ownership and low noise emissions and minimal vibration.”
Dani Jerkov, managing director of BU Power Sistemi d.o.o, the Perkins distributor that supplied the engines for the Croatian water taxi
