Safe Affordable Ferry Design Competition

6th Annual International Student Design Competition

The 2018-2019 Design Competition for a Safe Affordable Ferry will be focused on designing a passenger ferry for the Pasig River of Manila, Philippines as a linear urban ferry, an increasing popular type of ferry system in the progressively urbanizing world. Click here for more information about the competition.

Results of the 2018 Design Competition

The Fifth Design Competition for a Safe and Affordable Ferry was focused on designing a passenger ferry for the Singapore Strait between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

First Prize: Singapore Collaborative Team

Abstract of the first prize winners' proposal.

Second Prize: Indonesia Team

Abstract of the second prize winners' proposal.

Third Prize: India Team

Abstract of the shared third prize winners' proposal.

Third Prize: Netherlands Team

Abstract of the shared third prize winners' proposal.

Click here for the complete Terms of Reference (2015) document (in PDF).

Terms of Reference (2014) document.

Earlier Competitions

Results of the 2017 Design Competition

Winners of the WFSA Design Competition 2017 press release (for more information, see Winners of the 2017 Ferry Design Competition)

Results of the 2015-2016 Design Competition

This year's challenge was to design a RoPax vessel for Indonesia, the fourth most populous nation in the world.

Results of 2014 competition

World Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) announces the results of its Second Annual international student design competition for a Safe Affordable Ferry.

The winning design for the Safe Affordable Ferry, 2014

2014 Entries

• Memorial University of Newfoundland
• University of British Columbia
• Ecole nationale supérieure d'architecture de Nantes
• Hochschule Bremen University of Applied Sciences
• Tolani Maritime Institute, India
• The Apprentice School, Newport News, VA

Winning team from the University of British Columbia, Canada, 2013.

2013 Entries

Winners of the 2013 Design Competition.

Click here for a list of schools and faculty member points of contact for Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.

Click here for the 2013 Annual Report.

Other Papers

"Ferry Safety in the Developing World," Dr. Roberta Weisbrod, in Marine News, January 2015 (click here to download Adobe .pdf file).

"Fatal Ferry Follies," Joseph Keefe, in MaritimeProfessional, Dec 31, 2014 (click here to download Adobe .pdf file).

Click here for the Maritime Design slide show (Microsoft PowerPoint file).

“Marine Design for the Developing World: Implementing Innovation” paper was basis of presentation at the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers Annual Meeting Oct. 2012.

"Ferry Transport: The Realm of Responsibility for Disasters in Developing Countries." By Catherine Lawson and Roberta Weisbrod, J. Public Transport., Vol. 8 No. 4 (2005).