Dalmont Launched Its First Ship, the Ferry for Rapska Plovidba

At the Dalmont shipyard in Kraljevica, the ferry “Četiri zvonika” was launched into the sea on Saturday for the client Rapska plovidba from Rab.

The ferry is 79 meters long and 17.5 meters wide. It will be able to carry 99 cars and 595 passengers in summer, and 495 in winter on the route between Stinica and Mišnjak on Rab. It will have a crew of 10 members. The value of the ferry is 7.9 million euros, and the construction is financed from the own funds of Rapska plovidba and loans from HBOR, Erste Bank, and BKS Bank from Rijeka.

The director of the Dalmont shipyard, Ivan Ivić, emphasized during the launch that this ferry, the first ship launched under Dalmont operating at the site of the former Shipyard Kraljevica, represents everything that Dalmont has advocated since its establishment 25 years ago. “We employed young professionals, further educated existing ones, invested in infrastructure, all in the interest of improving the work process,” he said.

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The director of Rapska plovidba, Dragan Andrić, stated that this ship will contribute to an even better connection of Rab with the mainland, thereby enhancing the quality of tourism and retaining residents on the island. Andrić pointed out that Rapska plovidba has been granted a concession for the Stinica-Mišnjak line for another ten years, until 2027, and this ferry is also responsible for that, as without it the concession would have been approved for a period of six years.

The Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković, said that this shipbuilding project for a domestic client in a domestic shipyard is a positive light for the economy. Some believed that the shipyards in Kraljevica would no longer exist, but this launch shows that this shipyard, this county, and all of Croatia can, the minister stated.

He expressed hope that other domestic shipowners, especially Jadrolinija, will take similar steps and order the construction of new ships in Croatian shipyards. He highlighted that the process of building a ramp at the Stinica ferry port has been initiated, which will allow this ferry and others to dock more safely in adverse weather conditions.

The Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Prefect, Zlatko Komadina, emphasized that this is a great day for the county’s economy, considering that both Dalmont and Rapska plovidba are located in its area. It is important, he stated, that shipbuilding has returned to Kraljevica and that the shipbuilding tradition continues in the Kvarner area.

Greetings were also extended by the Mayor of Kraljevica, Dalibor Čandrlić, and the Mayor of Rab, Nikola Grgurić.