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Passenger ferry designers look ahead

Though the COVID-19 pandemic has put a dent in recent passenger demand, designers are looking ahead to a, hopefully, brighter future with a slew of interesting new and greener designs. An innovative

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A look at the best passenger ships of 2015

MV Veteran, 80m Ice Class Ferry
Delivered this past October by Damen Shipyards Galati, Romania, the RoPax ferry MV Veteran is built to handle the tough environment of the Arctic region. The 200-passenger vessel was designed to operate specifically in icy waters by a partnership comprised of Fleetway Inc., for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Denmark’s Knud E. Hansen.

The MV Veteran can handle 40 cm-thick floating ice at 4 knots, says Jan van Hogerwou, Damen Manager, North America. The ferry’s “rudders, hull and propellers have been strengthened and are outfitted with extra plate thickness for heavy winter conditions.”

Three MTU 16V 4000M23S engines generate 1,700 kWe, 400V, at 1,800 rev/min. The emergency genset is provided by one Volvo D16 engine generating 440 kWe 440V, at 1,800 rev/min. Its propulsion set is made up of two 1,600 kW Rolls-Royce azimuth thrusters, Electric Drive, and two 2,600 mm ice strength fixed pitch propellers.

And while the vessel was built in Romania, its very much a Canadian product, with several Canadian companies providing services for the vessel, with products including electrical equipment to fire-fighting systems.

MV Veteran has roll-on, roll-off capacity for 60 vehicles, is 80.9 m long with a beam of 17.2 m and can operate at a cruising speed of 14 knots.

The first in a two-vessel contract, the Veteran, and its sister ship the MV Legionnaire, are part of a large “lifeline” vessel replacement program being undertaken by the Provincial Government to modernize its fleet. The fleet transports over 900,000 passengers, 400,000 vehicles and 20,000 tonnes of freight with more than 50,000 arrivals and departures every year.

MV Veteran is class by ABS +A, Vehicle Passenger Ferry, Ice Class 1AA, Near Coastal, Voyage Class II, E, +AMS, HAB+, ACCU GP.

Product Director at Damen Ferries, Henk Grunstra, acknowledges that the Ice Class 1A Super certificate in the highest available for ferries. He also says the vessel has redundant systems in place for safe operation.

MV Veteran features 127 seats in the forward passenger lounge, 88 seats in the aft passenger lounge, 15 single crew cabins.

 


The Sally Fox, 105 ft fast ferry
Sally Fox Maiden VoyageLast April, a new foxy lady on the Puget Sound made her presence felt. Built by All American Marine, Bellingham, WA, the MV Sally Fox, is the first of two new ferries ordered by King County’s Marine Division. The vessel is also the first ferry to be built under the U.S. Coast Guard’s Sub-Chapter K rule, and delivered under the new 5A Space Performance Guidelines issued.

The 5A Space Performance Guidelines make it possible for a boat builder, such as All American Marine (AAM), to design and implement suitable structural fire protection in very low fire load spaces in the construction of weight-sensitive high-speed passenger vessels.

The 105 ft x 33 ft catamaran was designed by AAM, however, for its wave piercing hull design the builder called upon New Zealand-based naval architecture firm Teknicraft Design Ltd. The wave piercing hull design helps reduce drag and enhance passenger comfort.

Sally Fox is powered by twin Cummins QSK-50 tier II engines rated at 1,900 rev/min. The 250-passenger ferry operates at a service speed of 28 knots across the Puget Sound from Vashon Island to downtown Seattle.

Special attention was paid to each passenger deck’s layout in order to facilitate and streamline the boarding and disembarking process. Additionally, the new ferry features some green technologies, for example, instead of paint, the decks are covered with a peel-and-stick non-slip tread, while the exterior of the superstructure is wrapped in UV-stable vinyl.

Funded by federal grants, the new water taxi will replace the Melissa Ann, a 27 year old vessel leased to operate on the route since 2010. Its sister ferry, the MV Doc Maynard was delivered by AMM September 2015.

 


Baynes Sound Connector, Longest Cable Ferry
Next month, BC Ferries’ first ever cable ferry, the Baynes Sound Connector will make its long awaited debut and begin operations. Built by Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards, the 78.5 m ferry will accommodate 150 passengers and 50 vehicles on a 1,900 meter (about 1.9 km) route, making the ferry one of the longest cable ferries in the world.

BaynesSoundConnectorSABaynes Sound Connector will travel at a speed up to 8.5 knots between Buckley Bay and Denman Island. The ferry operates on one drive cable, and two guide cables along the route on the Baynes Sound Channel. Operator BC Ferries expects the cable ferry will help reduce operational costs, saving the company over $80 million over its expected 40-year service life; will have a smaller environmental footprint and lower fuel emissions.

While the news of the Baynes Sound Connector is exciting, the project was initially met with fears from the local community that felt a ferry operating on cables would be unsafe and wouldn’t be able to meet BC’s promise of a more efficient ferry on the run.

BC Ferries has stated that the ferry has been designed and built to safely operate in the Bayes Sound environment, which is a relatively low marine traffic area, and was tested in some of the worst weather conditions.

To further safety, it was recently announced that transit lights have been installed at both the Buckley Bay and Denman West terminals to secure safe passage for the cable ferry and other vessels in the area. A green light would indicate that the Baynes Sound Connector is docked at a terminal and boaters can safely cross the channel. A red light indicates the ferry is in transit, and it may not be safe for other vessels to cross the channels since the cables in operation may not be fully submerged.


Texelstroom, CNG Hybrid Ferry
TexelstroomBuilt by Spanish shipbuilder Construcciones Navales del Norte—La Naval, the 135m Texelstroom will offer its owner, Royal N.V. Texels Eigen Stoomboot Onderneming (TESO), a unique energy efficient vessel package that will combine a variety of green energy sources to help reduce its environmental impact when its delivered 1Q 2016.

The 1,750-passenger ferry is equipped with a hybrid propulsion system comprised of dual fuel (diesel/CNG) generating sets and a battery system, feeding the propulsion electric motors. The ferry is expected to operate mainly on the natural gas that will be storing two batteries of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) bottles installed on the top deck.

The double-ended ferry was designed with two separate navigation bridges and two independent engine rooms. One engine room is fitted with two ABC diesel engines, each generating 2,000 kW of power; and the other engine room is fitted with two ABC dual fuel engines, also generating 2 x 2,000 kW. Each ship end will be fitted with two Rolls-Royce azimuth propeller.

The ferry, designed by La Naval in close cooperation with TESO and C-Job Naval Architects & Engineers, and classed by Lloyds’ Register, will also feature over 700 m2 of solar panels, helping the ship to be more sustainable. Additionally, according to LR, the ferry’s design is supported by the European Union’s “I.Transfer” program. The goal of the program is to make ferry transport accessible and sustainable.  

The ferry will be ice class, featuring a strengthened hull to operate through winter ice, and will have a notation for Passenger and Crew Accommodation Comfort (PCAC) to ensure a safe and comfortable journey for passengers and crew.

Texelstroom will provide services in The Netherlands, between the island of Texel and the port of Den Helder. The ferry, which will also have capacity for 350 vehicles, will operate between 10 to 15 knots.


Ampere, Zero-emission Battery Powered Ferry
Norway was one of the first countries to embrace the move to alternative energies; the country was one of the earliest adopters of LNG as a marine fuel, and now it is the homebase for the world’s first battery powered electric car/passenger ferry. Built by Fjellstrand Shipyard, the 80 m long x 21 m wide Ampere produces zero emissions thanks to its Siemens’ BlueDrive PlusC electric propulsion system. The ferry does not use any fuel tanks or engines. Instead, it derives its power from its batteries which enable Norled to reduce its fuel costs by up to 60%, and save one million liters of fuel annually.

Ampere Credit SamferdselsfotoAmpere’s power system is made up of 224 Corvus Energy AT 6500 modules with a total capacity of 1.46MWH, an energy management system, a steering system, thruster control and an alarm system. The Energy Storage System (ESS) is split into four parts. Each of the vessel’s ends is fitted with a vessel mount and a shore power station—this enables and facilitates the rapid recharging of the batteries.

The innovative vessel is meant to be as environmentally friendly as possible, from the inside-out. Constructed from light-weight aluminum, the Ampere, weighs just half of what a conventional ferry would weigh. Its service life is double that of a steel hull ferry, and the vessel requires fewer drydock periods which help lower the vessel’s maintenance costs.

The Ampere is also equipped with LED lighting, high efficiency thrusters with feathering propellers from Rolls-Royce, and a HVAC system with extensive heat recovery. The ferry, which has passenger capacity for 350 and room for 120 cars, is classed by DNV-GL as 1A1- LC R4(nor), CF, C, BP, IOPP-A.


Mein Schiff 4, 99,500 grt cruise ship
vlcsnap 2015 05 20 15h01m01s183Designed for the German premium-class cruise market, the 99,500 gt Mein Schiff 4 is the fourth in a series of cruise ships being built for TUI Cruises, a joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean.

Mein Schiff 4 was constructed using advanced and eco-friendly technologies according to ship builder Meyer Turku Shipyard, Finland. The ship was built to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Its expected to consume 30 percent less energy when compared to other ships its size. The cruise ship is also fitted with a combined exhaust after-treatment system, made up of a scrubber and a catalyzer, lowering sulfur emissions by as much as 99 percent, and NOx by 75 percent.

Engine power is provided by two Wartsila 12V46 diesel engines and two Wartsila 8L46F diesel engines.

The ship is 294m long x 36m wide, with an 8m draft. It features 1,253 cabins, and has capacity for 2,790 passengers and 1,030 crew members.

Mein Schiff 4’s initial itinerary included traveling through a variety of routes in the Baltic Sea to the Baltic States and in Northern Europe around Norway. This winter, the ship will travel to the Canary Islands making stops along Morocco and Mediera.

Mein Schiff 4 is classed by DNV-GL +1A1 Passenger Ship BIS Clean F(M) Fuel (991 kg/m3, -7°C, 380 cSt) LCS(DC) TMON. Sister ships Mein Schiff 5 and 6 will be completed and delivered by the Meyer Turku yard by 2017.


Samish, 144-Car Ferry
The second in a series of four Olympic Class ferries for Washington State Ferries, the 144-Car Samish, was named in honor of the region’s native Samish Indian Nation. It’s name means “giving people,” and Washington State Ferries is hoping to do just that, by giving back to the community with the addition of the Samish to its growing ferry fleet.

SAMISH17087700982 5682073bfa oDelivered by Vigor Industrial, the new $126 million ferry, like its sister ship, the Tokitae, is based on the Olympic Class design by Seattle-based Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. The ferry measures 362 ft x 83 ft and has capacity for 144 cars and 1,500 passengers.

The Olympic Class, is built by a group of Washington-based companies—led by Vigor Industrial—offering the very best the state has to offer in design and production; and generating and supporting over 500 jobs in the Puget Sound.

Its superstructure was build by Whidbey Island, WA-based Nichols Brothers Boat Builders. Nichols built the superstructure for the Tokitae and will do the same for the third and fourth vessels in the series.

Olympic Class vessels were designed with passenger comfort in mind. The class provides wider lanes and more spaces for cars and trucks, additional comfort for passengers with two Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant (ADA compliant) elevators, an ADA-compliant car-deck restroom; flexible seating configurations; improved heating and ventilation; and wider stairwells and passageways.

Samish’s main propulsion is provided by two Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) engines developing a total 6,000 hp, enabling the vessel to reach speeds up to 17 knots on its Anacortes to San Juan Islands route. Olympic Class ferries are also equipped with the latest emergency-evacuation and fire-suppression systems.

Samish and the other vessels in the Olympic Class also provide WSF with improved efficiency and better fuel consumption. Its hull design helps reduce wake, further improving fuel efficiency. The ships will replace the aging Evergreen State Class vessels which have been in operation since the 1950’s.


F.A. Gauthier, First LNG ferry for North America
2GauthierCanada’s Société des Traversiers du Québec (STQ) is committed to a greener future. To that end the company invested in the construction of three LNG-fueled ferries in between 2014 and 2015, including the F.A. Gauthier, which was delivered to the operator this past summer.

Built by Italy’s Fincantieri Castellamare di Stabia shipyard, the F.A. Gauthier has the distinction of being the first LNG-fueled ferry to operate in North America. Classed by Lloyd’s Register, the ferry is fitted with an ultra compliant, low-emission, dual-fuel system from Wärtsilä.

Powered by four Wärtsilä 12v34D dual-fuel generating sets, meaning the ship can run on either Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) or Marine Diesel Oil (MDO), the 133 m x 22 m ferry can reach a maximum speed of 20 knots on its Matane-Baie-Coreneau-Godbout route.

The ship is also equipped with Wärtsilä’s LNGPac system comprised of LNG bunkering, storage tanks, and handling equipment. Its fitted with two contra-rotating propellers, making the ferry exceptionally maneuverable.

The F.A. Gauthier’s hull is certified as Ice Class 1 and Propulsion Class 1, enabling the ship to break sea ice and handle adverse weather conditions on the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  The ferry can carry 900 passengers and 180 vehicles on each trip, and is expected to transport more that 205,000 passengers and 118,000+ vehicles a year.


Viking Star, 48,000 grt cruise ship
Viking Ocean Cruises made its debut into the ocean going cruise market last year with the delivery of its highly anticipated 930 passenger Viking Star. The ship is the first of three cruise ships under construction at Fincantieri Marghera, Italy shipyard for the brand—which is a spin off of Viking River Cruises.

STAR CHRISTENING BERGEN 51611The goal for Viking Ocean Cruises was to bring the focus of cruising back to the destination. With that in mind, the brand decided to build a smaller passenger cruise ship, with a smarter design and providing guests with an enriching trip.

What makes the “small” cruise ship unique is that its engineered at a scale that enables the ship to have direct access into most ports, making embarkation and debarkation effectively easier and more efficient for guests. This lets passengers spend more time at each destination along the ship’s route.  

The Viking Star’s design pays homage to the brand’s Nordic heritage, effectively immersing the passenger into local surroundings. Clean lines, woven textiles and light-wood help evoke the Viking spirit of discovery, according to the brand, and helps connect the passenger with nature.

The 228m long ship, which features 465 state room—each with its own veranda—has two pools, a main pool with a retractable roof, and a glass-backed infinity pool cantilevered off the stern; the ship also includes indoor-outdoor spaces for al fresco dining, large windows and skylights that further blur the light between inside and out, and a wrap-around promenade deck that pays homage to classic ocean liners.

Viking Star was also designed with the environment in mind. The ship is powered by energy-efficient hybrid engines, hydro-dynamically optimized streamlined hulls and bows for maximum fuel efficiency, onboard solar panels and equipment that minimizes exhaust pollution and meets the strictest environmental regulations.


Oscar B. 115 ft ferry, Wakiakum County
OScarBWahkiakum County, Washington State is paying homage to one of the greatest skippers the country has ever had by naming the county’s newest ferry, the Oscar B, after him. Oscar Bergseng skippered the ferry, Wahkaikum, which was built in 1961, for 17 years.

Built by Nichols Brothers Boatbuilders, Freeland, WA, the 115 x 47 ft Oscar B is double the size of its predecessors, offering an expanded vehicle capacity.

The new ferry can carry 100 passengers and 23 cars between the Cathlamet, WA and Westport, OR terminals.

The ferry, designed by Seattle’s Elliott Bay Design Group, features a steel-hull, aluminum super-structure. Its power is provided by two state-of-the-art Cummins QLS diesel engines, each delivering 285 hp at 1,800 rev/min and couple to ZF Marine reversing reduction gears with two fixed-pitch propellers.

Oscar B meets all current U.S. Coast Guard requirements. Additionally, it features a hydraulic steering system, up-to-date electronics, a passenger lounge and ADA-accessible restrooms.

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Ferries: Reconnecting with the water

But like many ferry services in the U.S., the SSA’s workhorse fleet is aging. The nine vessels in the authority’s fleet have an average age of 30 years old. The 60-year-old Governor, which in a previous life served Governors Island in New York Harbor, will be replaced in 2017 by the M/V Woods Hole, a new ferry under construction at Conrad Shipyard in Morgan City, LA. Conrad Shipyard won the tender to build the ferry with a $36,448,000 million bid.

The ferry is designed by Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), Seattle, WA, whose name is synonymous with ferry design in the U.S. Besides the SSA ferry project, EBDG naval architects are currently working on the Alaska Class Day Boat, the Fisher Island ferry, and the Staten Island Ferry.

EBDG’s Brian King, Vice President of Engineering, says the construction of the new SSA ferry has now reached a significant construction milestone with the launching of the hull.  The hull was launched upside down and then righted while in the water by use cranes. Pre-built superstructure assemblies are now being installed on the deck.

Oct Ferry2When MARINE LOG visited Conrad Shipyard in August, the Woods Hole had yet to be launched, but its highly shaped bulbous bow was in place.

When designing the Woods Hole, particular attention was focused on ship’s planned powering and seakeeping characteristics, as well as efficiency.

King says the ferry is designed to achieve sprint speeds of 16 knots but will more typically operate at 12 to 14 knots.  The ferry’s highly shaped bulbous bow was designed to minimize wake and improve fuel efficiency.  EBDG used Computational Fluid Design (CFD) analysis to optimize the hull and bulbous bow design.

The results of the CFD analysis was validated and further optimized in FORCE Technology’s towing tank in Denmark.  While there are many fuel efficiency design features, the bulbous bow alone is estimated to provide fuel efficiency improvements of 3% over a conventional bow, according to King. Test results on a custom-made model built by FORCE Technology indicated that the vessel’s hull deign will be very efficient, requiring less than 2,500 hp to operate at a service speed of 14 knots, and that the vessel’s wake is expected to be minimal, even at speeds of 9 knots.

King says the Woods Hole has been specially designed to carry freight, but is also suited for walk-on passenger and car traffic.  The freight-vehicle deck is designed to carry ten 100,000 lb tractor-trailers with straight through end-to-end loading.  When not carrying a full load of tractor-trailers the freight-vehicle deck can accommodate approximately 55 standard passenger vehicles.  Passenger plus crew capacity is 384.

The Woods Hole is 235 ft long, with a beam of 64 ft, and maximum draft is limited to 10 ft 6 in. at full load due to port restrictions.  For simplified maintenance and crew oversight, passenger accommodations are all on a single deck above the freight deck with seating indoors and outside.  Food service, Wifi, cell service and television will be provided.  Crew accommodations are located on the deck above the passenger deck located behind the wheelhouse, which has been elevated for excellent visibility all around. 

The main propulsion power is supplied by two EPA Tier 3-compliant, 2,680-hp MTU 16V4000 engines connected to Hundested controllable pitch propellers.  Controllable pitch was chosen to allow propeller pitch and shaft RPM combinations that provide excellent low speed maneuvering responsiveness and still provide optimized fuel efficiency at all speeds.

Radiated noise is minimized through use of resiliently mounted main engines and generators and critical grade silencers.

Fuel, oil and waste tanks are all safely isolated from the hull.

Maneuverability and efficiency
King says that special attention has been devoted to fuel efficiency, least environmental impact and low speed maneuvering. For maneuvering and steering, the ferry will be fitted with Becker high-lift rudders located in line with the propeller shafts to improve fuel efficiency.  A vectorable Tees—White Gill bow thruster in combination with the controllable pitch propeller system and high lift rudders will provide the Woods Hole with extremely good maneuverability in a tight quarters.  King says the bow thruster, rudders, and CP system will also allow the ferry to turnaround and accelerate with very little wake wash. 

The Woods Hole is expected to be delivered in May 2016 and enter service in 2017.

New ferry for Texas
When you are driving on Texas State Highway 361, the only way to get across Corpus Christi Channel from Aransas Pass to Port Aransas, is by the Port Aransas ferry. The ferry service runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The quarter-mile route typically takes less than 10 minutes across, although peak summer hours may require drivers to wait longer.

Each ferry can carry up to 20 regular passenger vehicles. Combined vehicles, such as a truck towing a boat, may not be longer than 80 feet, wider than 13 feet or taller than 13 feet 6 inches. Single-axle vehicles may weigh no more than 20,000 pounds, tandem axles no more than 34,000 pounds and combination vehicles may not exceed a total of 80,000 pounds.

The ferries are owned by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), which recently awarded a contract to Southwest Shipyard, Houston, TX, to construct a 28-car ferry. When delivered in February 2017, the new ferry will be the third of a class designed by EBDG. EBDG, which will act as the owner’s representative for the project when construction begins this fall, signed a deal with TxDOT in 2014 to provide four years of on-call service. This is the first contract under the service agreement.

Unlike the two previous ferries built to this design and delivered in 2011, the new ferry will be a diesel-electric ferry. It will be classed by ABS and will have a length of 161 feet overall, a beam of 52 feet, a depth of approximately 11 feet and a draft of 8 feet.

Design updates to the interior, including the propulsion system, will translate into a vessel that has greater built-in redundancy and requires less maintenance over its lifetime.

North Carolina DOT looks at adding passenger-only ferry
Meanwhile, North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is conducting a Passenger Feasibility Study that could lead to a new passenger-only ferry service between Hatteras Village and Oracoke’s Silver Harbor by the summer of 2017. The new service would start with either two 80-passenger ferries or one 150-passenger vessel. The passenger-only ferries would be in addition to the Ferry Division’s current car ferry service.

Oct Ferry3The passenger-only ferry service is seen as a possible way to boost tourism to Oracoke Island, which has seen a 250,000 visitor drop off from its peak of about 1 million in 2007. The passenger-only ferry service will also reduce long lines of autos during the summer for the car ferries. Parking on the island is scarce, too.

The study says the new ferry service would make four round trips per day, carrying 125,000 passengers in the first year at a cost of $15 per round trip. New visitor spending would reach $500,000 in the first year.

By 2020, the construction of permanent docking terminals would be complete and additional passenger-only vessels would be added.

This past summer, the NCDOT Ferry Division held meetings in Oracoke and Hatteras to gather the public’s input.
The passenger ferries would drop visitors off directly in Ocracoke Village, where Hyde County would provide tram service around the village and to attractions such as the Ocracoke Lighthouse and the British Cemetery.

“There are a lot of moving parts here, but if they all come together, this could solve a lot of the issues for Ocracoke visitation,” says Ferry Division Director Ed Goodwin. “It would ease the backups we have on the car ferry route, and bring more visitors with fewer cars into the village. On the surface, it seems like a win-win all around.”

Other solutions are included in the study as well, such as year-round dredging of the now-closed “short” car ferry route, putting more car ferries into service on the current route, or loading more walk-on passengers onto the existing departures. But each of those comes with its own expense and logistical issues.

The Passenger Ferry Feasibility Study being conducted by Volkert Inc., Raleigh, NC, for the state began earlier this year and has included test runs of the possible ferry route, passenger surveys, and meetings with the public and stakeholders. It has also identified the kind of infrastructure and parking improvements that would be needed before service begins. The study is due to be completed by the end of this year.

Oct Ferry4Staten Island Ferry draws interest
Any time you board the Staten Island ferry at the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in lower Manhattan for the five-mile trip across New York Harbor, you are bound to hear at least four different languages spoken by your fellow passengers. The iconic orange ferry fleet is one of the city’s biggest annual tourist attractions, providing a free ride with priceless views of Governors Island, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and the Verrazano Bridge. The New York City Department of Transportation, owner and operator of the fleet, is in the process of developing a new class of boats to replace the 1965-built John F. Kennedy and the 1980’s vintage Andrew J. Barberi and Samuel I. Newhouse.

NYCDOT held an industry day on September 16 in New York outlining the project scope, bid process, and development and construction timeline for the 4,500-passenger New Kennedy Class ferries for the Staten Island Ferry. EBDG, lead naval architect on the project was on hand, along with representatives from Conrad Shipyard, Morgan City, LA, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, WI, Eastern Shipbuilding, Panama City, FL, VT Halter Marine, Pascagoula, MS, Dakota Creek Industries, Anacortes, WA, Leevac Shipyards, Jennings, LA, Vigor Industrial, Portland, OR, and General Dynamics NASSCO, San Diego, CA, and some key suppliers.

The city has received funding of $309 million towards the three boats, which will be 320 ft long by 70 ft, with EPA Tier 4 compliant diesel engines and a Voith Schneider propulsion system. The ferries are expected to retain some of the design elements of the beloved Kennedy Class, while incorporating energy and fuel-saving technologies.

Once the construction contract is finalized in the fourth quarter of 2016, all three ferries must be completed within a four-year time frame.

Expanding East River ferry service
Some of New York Mayor Bill deBlasio’s policies and initiatives have been downright forehead slapping. His handling of the homeless and push towards removing horse-drawn carriages from city streets have been baffling. His consideration of tearing up pedestrian plazas in Times Square to reopen up them to vehicle traffic as a means of removing painted topless women from the area is just plain dumb.

But the Mayor should be given credit for announcing the launching of expanded citywide ferry services in 2017 and 2018 that would connect neighborhoods that are “starved of adequate mass transit,” in the words of State Senator Michael Gianaris. The expanded ferry services across the East River to Astoria, the Rockaways, South Brooklyn, the Lower East Side and Soundview would run seven days a week and cost $2.75 each way—the same as a city subway or bus. Future service would connect Coney Island and the Stapleton section of Staten Island.

Washington State gets funding for fourth ferry
The good news for Washington State Ferries is that this past summer Washington Governor Islee approved $122 million in the state budget for the construction of a badly needed fourth 144-car Olympic Class ferry.

WSF is building new Olympic Class ferries to replace some of the fleet’s oldest vessels. The Olympic Class design is based on the Issaquah class—the same ferries that have been the subject of a proposed midlife conversion to burn Liquefied Natural Gas.

Designed by Seattle-based Guido Perla & Associates, Inc., the Olympic Class vessels have a capacity of 144 cars and 1,500 passengers and are 362 ft 3 in long x 83 ft 2 in wide. Main propulsion is by two Electro-Motive Diesel engines developing a total 6,000 hp and giving the vessels a speed of 17 knots.

Two of the Olympic Class ferries, the Tokitae and Samish, are in service, and a third is under construction at Vigor in Seattle for delivery in 2017. As in the first two ferries, Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Whidbey Island, WA, is building the superstructure. The fourth is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2018. 

WSF is building new vessels to replace our 1950s-era Evergreen State Class ferries. Nine of 24 vessels in its fleet are between 40 and 60 years old. These older ferries are approaching the end of their service lives and must be replaced with newer ones in the coming years.

New King County ferry starts service
King County’s newest vessel, the M/V Doc Maynard, started service on the Vashon route on September 29 sailing from Pier 50.  The ferry replaced her sister ship, the M/V Sally Fox, which is being removed from service for scheduled warranty work.

Both the Sally Fox and Doc Maynard will built by All American Marine, Inc. (AAM), Bellingham, WA. The 105 ft x 33 ft aluminum catamaran ferries are the first U.S. Coast Guard Sub-chapter “K” inspected passenger vessels built and delivered under new guidelines that make it possible for boat builders to design and implement suitable structural fire protection in very low fire load spaces in the construction of weight-sensitive high speed passenger vessels.

AAM partnered with naval architecture firm, Teknicraft Design Ltd., of Auckland, New Zealand for the hull design. The advanced hull shape was custom designed using digital modeling and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis testing.

The hull design is complemented by Teknicraft’s signature integration of a wave piercer positioned between the catamaran sponsons to break up wave action and ensure reduced drag while enhancing passenger comfort.

All American Marine is the exclusive builder for Teknicraft Design Ltd. catamarans in North America.

Each ferry is powered by two Cummins QSK-50 Tier 3 diesel engines, rated at 1,800 bhp at 1,900 rev/min and driving twin propellers to provide a service speed of 28 knots.

The ferries also burn a 10 percent biodiesel blend and have LED lighting onboard.

The design features interior seating for 250 with 28 additional outdoor seats available on the upper aft deck.

With traffic congestion on roads and bridges continuing to plague area commuters, King County is also exploring a plan to possibly add ferry service on Lake Washington, something that has happened since the 1950s.

MARINE LOG FERRIES 2015 Exclusive: Tour the new boat
All American Marine is sponsoring a tour of the Doc Maynard at MARINE LOG’S FERRIES 2015 Conference & Expo, set for November 5-6, 2015 at the Hyatt Olive 8 in Seattle. As part of the tour, Joe Hudspeth, Vice President of Business Development, All American Marine and Paul Brodeur, Director of King County Marine Division, will jointly discuss the features and capabilities of the new ferries. Those interested in the tour should sign up early as space is limited. See marinelog.com/events for more details.

-By John R. Snyder, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

 

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Ferries: Reconnecting with the water

But like many ferry services in the U.S., the SSA’s workhorse fleet is aging. The nine vessels in the authority’s fleet have an average age of 30 years old. The 60-year-old Governor, which in a previous life served Governors Island in New York Harbor, will be replaced in 2017 by the M/V Woods Hole, a new ferry under construction at Conrad Shipyard in Morgan City, LA. Conrad Shipyard won the tender to build the ferry with a $36,448,000 million bid.

The ferry is designed by Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), Seattle, WA, whose name is synonymous with ferry design in the U.S. Besides the SSA ferry project, EBDG naval architects are currently working on the Alaska Class Day Boat, the Fisher Island ferry, and the Staten Island Ferry.

EBDG’s Brian King, Vice President of Engineering, says the construction of the new SSA ferry has now reached a significant construction milestone with the launching of the hull.  The hull was launched upside down and then righted while in the water by use cranes. Pre-built superstructure assemblies are now being installed on the deck.

Oct Ferry2When MARINE LOG visited Conrad Shipyard in August, the Woods Hole had yet to be launched, but its highly shaped bulbous bow was in place.

When designing the Woods Hole, particular attention was focused on ship’s planned powering and seakeeping characteristics, as well as efficiency.

King says the ferry is designed to achieve sprint speeds of 16 knots but will more typically operate at 12 to 14 knots.  The ferry’s highly shaped bulbous bow was designed to minimize wake and improve fuel efficiency.  EBDG used Computational Fluid Design (CFD) analysis to optimize the hull and bulbous bow design.

The results of the CFD analysis was validated and further optimized in FORCE Technology’s towing tank in Denmark.  While there are many fuel efficiency design features, the bulbous bow alone is estimated to provide fuel efficiency improvements of 3% over a conventional bow, according to King. Test results on a custom-made model built by FORCE Technology indicated that the vessel’s hull deign will be very efficient, requiring less than 2,500 hp to operate at a service speed of 14 knots, and that the vessel’s wake is expected to be minimal, even at speeds of 9 knots.

King says the Woods Hole has been specially designed to carry freight, but is also suited for walk-on passenger and car traffic.  The freight-vehicle deck is designed to carry ten 100,000 lb tractor-trailers with straight through end-to-end loading.  When not carrying a full load of tractor-trailers the freight-vehicle deck can accommodate approximately 55 standard passenger vehicles.  Passenger plus crew capacity is 384.

The Woods Hole is 235 ft long, with a beam of 64 ft, and maximum draft is limited to 10 ft 6 in. at full load due to port restrictions.  For simplified maintenance and crew oversight, passenger accommodations are all on a single deck above the freight deck with seating indoors and outside.  Food service, Wifi, cell service and television will be provided.  Crew accommodations are located on the deck above the passenger deck located behind the wheelhouse, which has been elevated for excellent visibility all around. 

The main propulsion power is supplied by two EPA Tier 3-compliant, 2,680-hp MTU 16V4000 engines connected to Hundested controllable pitch propellers.  Controllable pitch was chosen to allow propeller pitch and shaft RPM combinations that provide excellent low speed maneuvering responsiveness and still provide optimized fuel efficiency at all speeds.

Radiated noise is minimized through use of resiliently mounted main engines and generators and critical grade silencers.

Fuel, oil and waste tanks are all safely isolated from the hull.

 


Maneuverability and efficiency
King says that special attention has been devoted to fuel efficiency, least environmental impact and low speed maneuvering. For maneuvering and steering, the ferry will be fitted with Becker high-lift rudders located in line with the propeller shafts to improve fuel efficiency.  A vectorable Tees—White Gill bow thruster in combination with the controllable pitch propeller system and high lift rudders will provide the Woods Hole with extremely good maneuverability in a tight quarters.  King says the bow thruster, rudders, and CP system will also allow the ferry to turnaround and accelerate with very little wake wash. 

 

The Woods Hole is expected to be delivered in May 2016 and enter service in 2017.

New ferry for Texas
When you are driving on Texas State Highway 361, the only way to get across Corpus Christi Channel from Aransas Pass to Port Aransas, is by the Port Aransas ferry. The ferry service runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The quarter-mile route typically takes less than 10 minutes across, although peak summer hours may require drivers to wait longer.

Each ferry can carry up to 20 regular passenger vehicles. Combined vehicles, such as a truck towing a boat, may not be longer than 80 feet, wider than 13 feet or taller than 13 feet 6 inches. Single-axle vehicles may weigh no more than 20,000 pounds, tandem axles no more than 34,000 pounds and combination vehicles may not exceed a total of 80,000 pounds.

The ferries are owned by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), which recently awarded a contract to Southwest Shipyard, Houston, TX, to construct a 28-car ferry. When delivered in February 2017, the new ferry will be the third of a class designed by EBDG. EBDG, which will act as the owner’s representative for the project when construction begins this fall, signed a deal with TxDOT in 2014 to provide four years of on-call service. This is the first contract under the service agreement.

Unlike the two previous ferries built to this design and delivered in 2011, the new ferry will be a diesel-electric ferry. It will be classed by ABS and will have a length of 161 feet overall, a beam of 52 feet, a depth of approximately 11 feet and a draft of 8 feet.

Design updates to the interior, including the propulsion system, will translate into a vessel that has greater built-in redundancy and requires less maintenance over its lifetime.

North Carolina DOT looks at adding passenger-only ferry
Meanwhile, North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is conducting a Passenger Feasibility Study that could lead to a new passenger-only ferry service between Hatteras Village and Oracoke’s Silver Harbor by the summer of 2017. The new service would start with either two 80-passenger ferries or one 150-passenger vessel. The passenger-only ferries would be in addition to the Ferry Division’s current car ferry service.

Oct Ferry3The passenger-only ferry service is seen as a possible way to boost tourism to Oracoke Island, which has seen a 250,000 visitor drop off from its peak of about 1 million in 2007. The passenger-only ferry service will also reduce long lines of autos during the summer for the car ferries. Parking on the island is scarce, too.

The study says the new ferry service would make four round trips per day, carrying 125,000 passengers in the first year at a cost of $15 per round trip. New visitor spending would reach $500,000 in the first year.

By 2020, the construction of permanent docking terminals would be complete and additional passenger-only vessels would be added.

This past summer, the NCDOT Ferry Division held meetings in Oracoke and Hatteras to gather the public’s input.
The passenger ferries would drop visitors off directly in Ocracoke Village, where Hyde County would provide tram service around the village and to attractions such as the Ocracoke Lighthouse and the British Cemetery.

“There are a lot of moving parts here, but if they all come together, this could solve a lot of the issues for Ocracoke visitation,” says Ferry Division Director Ed Goodwin. “It would ease the backups we have on the car ferry route, and bring more visitors with fewer cars into the village. On the surface, it seems like a win-win all around.”

Other solutions are included in the study as well, such as year-round dredging of the now-closed “short” car ferry route, putting more car ferries into service on the current route, or loading more walk-on passengers onto the existing departures. But each of those comes with its own expense and logistical issues.

The Passenger Ferry Feasibility Study being conducted by Volkert Inc., Raleigh, NC, for the state began earlier this year and has included test runs of the possible ferry route, passenger surveys, and meetings with the public and stakeholders. It has also identified the kind of infrastructure and parking improvements that would be needed before service begins. The study is due to be completed by the end of this year.

 


Oct Ferry4Staten Island Ferry draws interest
Any time you board the Staten Island ferry at the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in lower Manhattan for the five-mile trip across New York Harbor, you are bound to hear at least four different languages spoken by your fellow passengers. The iconic orange ferry fleet is one of the city’s biggest annual tourist attractions, providing a free ride with priceless views of Governors Island, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and the Verrazano Bridge. The New York City Department of Transportation, owner and operator of the fleet, is in the process of developing a new class of boats to replace the 1965-built John F. Kennedy and the 1980’s vintage Andrew J. Barberi and Samuel I. Newhouse.

 

NYCDOT held an industry day on September 16 in New York outlining the project scope, bid process, and development and construction timeline for the 4,500-passenger New Kennedy Class ferries for the Staten Island Ferry. EBDG, lead naval architect on the project was on hand, along with representatives from Conrad Shipyard, Morgan City, LA, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, WI, Eastern Shipbuilding, Panama City, FL, VT Halter Marine, Pascagoula, MS, Dakota Creek Industries, Anacortes, WA, Leevac Shipyards, Jennings, LA, Vigor Industrial, Portland, OR, and General Dynamics NASSCO, San Diego, CA, and some key suppliers.

The city has received funding of $309 million towards the three boats, which will be 320 ft long by 70 ft, with EPA Tier 4 compliant diesel engines and a Voith Schneider propulsion system. The ferries are expected to retain some of the design elements of the beloved Kennedy Class, while incorporating energy and fuel-saving technologies.

Once the construction contract is finalized in the fourth quarter of 2016, all three ferries must be completed within a four-year time frame.

Expanding East River ferry service
Some of New York Mayor Bill deBlasio’s policies and initiatives have been downright forehead slapping. His handling of the homeless and push towards removing horse-drawn carriages from city streets have been baffling. His consideration of tearing up pedestrian plazas in Times Square to reopen up them to vehicle traffic as a means of removing painted topless women from the area is just plain dumb.

But the Mayor should be given credit for announcing the launching of expanded citywide ferry services in 2017 and 2018 that would connect neighborhoods that are “starved of adequate mass transit,” in the words of State Senator Michael Gianaris. The expanded ferry services across the East River to Astoria, the Rockaways, South Brooklyn, the Lower East Side and Soundview would run seven days a week and cost $2.75 each way—the same as a city subway or bus. Future service would connect Coney Island and the Stapleton section of Staten Island.

Washington State gets funding for fourth ferry
The good news for Washington State Ferries is that this past summer Washington Governor Islee approved $122 million in the state budget for the construction of a badly needed fourth 144-car Olympic Class ferry.

WSF is building new Olympic Class ferries to replace some of the fleet’s oldest vessels. The Olympic Class design is based on the Issaquah class—the same ferries that have been the subject of a proposed midlife conversion to burn Liquefied Natural Gas.

Designed by Seattle-based Guido Perla & Associates, Inc., the Olympic Class vessels have a capacity of 144 cars and 1,500 passengers and are 362 ft 3 in long x 83 ft 2 in wide. Main propulsion is by two Electro-Motive Diesel engines developing a total 6,000 hp and giving the vessels a speed of 17 knots.

Two of the Olympic Class ferries, the Tokitae and Samish, are in service, and a third is under construction at Vigor in Seattle for delivery in 2017. As in the first two ferries, Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Whidbey Island, WA, is building the superstructure. The fourth is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2018. 

WSF is building new vessels to replace our 1950s-era Evergreen State Class ferries. Nine of 24 vessels in its fleet are between 40 and 60 years old. These older ferries are approaching the end of their service lives and must be replaced with newer ones in the coming years.

New King County ferry starts service
King County’s newest vessel, the M/V Doc Maynard, started service on the Vashon route on September 29 sailing from Pier 50.  The ferry replaced her sister ship, the M/V Sally Fox, which is being removed from service for scheduled warranty work.

Both the Sally Fox and Doc Maynard will built by All American Marine, Inc. (AAM), Bellingham, WA. The 105 ft x 33 ft aluminum catamaran ferries are the first U.S. Coast Guard Sub-chapter “K” inspected passenger vessels built and delivered under new guidelines that make it possible for boat builders to design and implement suitable structural fire protection in very low fire load spaces in the construction of weight-sensitive high speed passenger vessels.

AAM partnered with naval architecture firm, Teknicraft Design Ltd., of Auckland, New Zealand for the hull design. The advanced hull shape was custom designed using digital modeling and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis testing.

The hull design is complemented by Teknicraft’s signature integration of a wave piercer positioned between the catamaran sponsons to break up wave action and ensure reduced drag while enhancing passenger comfort.

All American Marine is the exclusive builder for Teknicraft Design Ltd. catamarans in North America.

Each ferry is powered by two Cummins QSK-50 Tier 3 diesel engines, rated at 1,800 bhp at 1,900 rev/min and driving twin propellers to provide a service speed of 28 knots.

The ferries also burn a 10 percent biodiesel blend and have LED lighting onboard.

The design features interior seating for 250 with 28 additional outdoor seats available on the upper aft deck.

With traffic congestion on roads and bridges continuing to plague area commuters, King County is also exploring a plan to possibly add ferry service on Lake Washington, something that has happened since the 1950s.

MARINE LOG FERRIES 2015 Exclusive: Tour the new boat
All American Marine is sponsoring a tour of the Doc Maynard at MARINE LOG’S FERRIES 2015 Conference & Expo, set for November 5-6, 2015 at the Hyatt Olive 8 in Seattle. As part of the tour, Joe Hudspeth, Vice President of Business Development, All American Marine and Paul Brodeur, Director of King County Marine Division, will jointly discuss the features and capabilities of the new ferries. Those interested in the tour should sign up early as space is limited. See marinelog.com/ferries for more details.

-By John R. Snyder, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

 

Research catamaran Imua

AAM delivers Hawaii research catamaran

Bellingham, Wash., based All American Marine (AAM) has recently delivered an innovative research catamaran vessel to the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB). Called Imua,