The Government is looking to replace two fast ferries, according to a recently published notice.

The request for proposal, published by the Ministry of Transport on Friday, stated that the Department of Marine and Ports Services required two 500-passenger catamaran ferries, built to Lloyds Classification standards.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Marine and Ports Services said: “The two new fuel-efficient ferries will replace two of the ageing vessels, the Warbaby Fox and JL Cecil Smith.”

Both of the vessels to be replaced were built in Bridgeport, Connecticut, by Direktor Shipyard and carry up to 350 passengers.

The notice added that the ferries would primarily be used to service the Orange route, which runs between Dockyard and St George’s, and the Blue ferry routes, which link Dockyard to Hamilton.

“These routes combined are approximately 17 nautical miles one way at our required service speed of 28 knots,” the notice stated.

“Ferries would operate up to 16 hours per day approximately five days per week, refuelling and services will be at the end of each service day.

“The vessels must have good sea-keeping capabilities and be of modern design to fit into our existing dock arrangements in Bermuda and to meet the demand of our evolving cruise ship industry.”

The deadline for submissions is 4pm on August 18.

Bermuda’s fast ferry fleet was introduced between 2002 and 2007 with an estimated operational life of about 20 years.

However, several of the ferries have been sent overseas for repairs and refurbishments including the $2 million refit of the ferry Resolute in 2021 and a $4.5 million refit of the Bermudian, which started last year.

Warbaby Fox was delivered to the island in 2006 and named after Charles Hilgrove Gawthorpe “Warbaby” Fox.

The JL Cecil Smith was christened in 2007 and named after John Lumbley Cecil Smith, who worked as a pilot for the Department of Marine and Ports for 59 years.