The ship is operated by Amac SP and carries up to 150 passengers on daytime and evening pleasure cruises, taking in the resort towns of Ohrid and Struga.

Lake Ohrid is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is one of Europe’s deepest and –according to many experts – the oldest lake in Europe, preserving a unique aquatic ecosystem with more than 200 endemic species of worldwide importance. There is growing concern that human activity on the lake shores is resulting in the delicate ecosystem coming under stress, which focused Amac SP’s attention on environmental credentials when assessing its repower options. “Compliance with the highest international marine environmental standards was a major factor in favour of the Perkins Marine Power engines,” said Alan Kaou of Amac SP.

Whole-life cost was, understandably, another top-line consideration when assessing similar output engines on the market. “It was clearly demonstrated to us that the M215C has the lowest cost of ownership in its class,” continued Alan Kaou. “After three or four years we are expecting to recoup the original cost of the engine due to the engines’ longer service intervals, excellent fuel economy and lower parts prices.”

The M215C is, in all probability, the most popular commercially-rated model in the current line-up. The twin installation of the six-cylinder, six-litre wastegated turbocharged, charge-air-cooled engine powers Galeb to a top speed of 15 knots, and its low revving design ensures that the ship’s passengers will enjoy a smooth, vibration-free holiday experience.

Galeb is in daily operation throughout the Macedonian tourist season so, again according Alan Kaou, engine reliability was the final deciding factor in the M215C’s favour. “We were obviously influenced by the fact that the M215C has been chosen by so many cruise, ferry and water taxi operators throughout the world that share our need to be confident that the engine will not cause any disruption to daily operation.”

The engines for Galeb were supplied by Motomariner D.O.O, the Perkins dealer for Croatia. Parts and service support for all Perkins Marine Power engines is available only through the Perkins distribution network that today numbers 4,000 distributors in 160 countries. Full details on the M215C, and all of the other propulsion and onboard generator set engines in the current Perkins Marine Power range, including contact details for the distributor network, are available at www.perkins-sabre.com.