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June 17, 2016
Ferries

A return to its maritime roots

“Anyone studying the growth of the city …cannot help but be struck by the fact that New York was first a port before it was anything else.” This William Bixby quote adorns the perimeter of South Street Seaport in New York. The city is one with a rich maritime history—operations on both the East and Hudson River have played a vital role in shaping the city and its people’s history—but its one often forgotten by most New Yorkers navigating their way through the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle.

New York was originally the landmass south of Wall Street on the island of Manhattan, as time went on, however, New Yorkers began expanding out into the neighboring boroughs and eventually made their way to the suburbs. Today, Manhattan is still the city’s center with New Yorkers spending, on average, 40 minutes traveling to or from work each day, according to the New York Times —more than any other city in the United States. But one mode of transportation often not used by New Yorkers, are ferries operating on New York’s marine highway, the East River. Granted, most communities in the city’s five boroughs don’t have access to such ferry operations—except for Staten Island which has the government operated Staten Island Ferry, most ferry operations are private and confined to Manhattan and parts of Queens and Brooklyn—but that’s all about to change thanks to a partnership between the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and Hornblower, Inc.

Hornblower is no stranger to New York, the company’s subsidiary Statue Cruises currently provides transportation to the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island. Hornblower also debuted its New York Hornblower Hybrid, a ferry/luxury yacht, back in 2011.

Citywide Ferry
Promising a fast, frequent and convenient service operating year round, the Citywide Ferry will bring a total of six routes that, when combined, will cover over 60 miles of waterways. The creation of the service will help meet growing waterfront community demand, and help lighten the load for an already overworked, overcrowded, and outdated MTA subway system.

Hornblower will have the option to purchase at least 17 new ferries, as well as chartering already existing ferries to help meet the system’s demand. Our sources tell us Hornblower will likely contract up to three shipyards, which will each build three to four ferries in the first round of construction. One of the shipyards is believed to be Metal Shark Aluminum Boats, Jeanerette, LA. It recently received a Small Shipyard Grant from the Maritime Administration for its Franklin, LA, shipyard.

The city is providing the service with $55 million in infrastructure upgrades—this includes the building of ten new ferry landings and the repair/refitting of six others. Additionally, the city will provide $10 million for startup costs, such as vessel upgrades and ticketing machines and $30 million in operation support per year for a period of six years.

NY Waterway’s East River Ferry boats are also to be fully integrated into the Citywide Ferry fleet. The transition is expected to be complete by the summer of 2017.

The Citywide Ferry service will roll out in two phases. Phase one will initiate service to Astoria, South Brooklyn and Rockaway in 2017. Phase two to Soundview (Bronx) and Lower East Side will launch in 2018.

The catamaran ferries, which will be based on an Incat Crowther design, say our sources, will carry at least 149 passengers, will be fully accessible to those with disabilities, will be equipped with WiFi, and will operate using low emission engines and “Low Wake” technology. The ferries will offer passengers 360 degree views, and LED screens will be fitted on board displaying information and entertainment.

The ferries, like its Staten Island ferry counterpart, will also offer food and beverage options on board.

However, unlike the Staten Island Ferry, which is free, the Citywide Ferry will cost passengers $2.75, the same price as a New York City Metro Card swipe on the city busses or Subway system.

Passengers however will not be able to transfer from the train/bus to the Citywide Ferry—meaning the service won’t be fully integrated with the NYC mass transit system. However, free transfers will be available between ferries. The ferries will operate from 6:30 am to 10 pm, seven days a week.

Ferry Landings for Citywide Ferry
A total of 10 ferry landings—the barges were designed by Blancke Marine Services, Woodbury, NJ, and the topside outfit by project design manager McLaren Engineering—will be built for the service, and are expected to be ready in time for the service’s launch in 2017. The barges for the landings are being built at May Ship Repair on Staten Island.The ferry landings will be 35 ft wide by 90 ft long.

The landings are being fabricated for Soundview, Bronx; Astoria, Queens; East 62^nd Street, Manhattan; Roosevelt Island (between Manhattan and Queens); Long Island City, Queens; Stuyvesant Cove in Manhattan; Grand Street (Lower East Side Manhattan); Red Hook, Brooklyn; Bay Ridge, Brooklyn; and the Rockaways.

According to NYCEDC, upon completion, the landings will be equipped with canopies and wide screens to provide passengers a sheltered space from inclement weather. Additionally, the barges will feature ticket machines and waiting areas, allowing for minimal upload impact at the landing sites, says the NYCEDC.

Helping the waterfront community
The Citywide Ferry system is projected to add 155 new jobs to the New York Harbor. Additionally, the company will participate in the City’s HireNYC program which will match qualified applicants from neighborhood-based WorkForce1 training centers, meaning that the folks working at the landings will be qualified people from the communities.

Crews are expected earn more than $15 an hour and will also receive a comprehensive benefits package.

Further exemplifying its desire to highlight and foster the growth of the city’s maritime tradition, NYCEDC has partnered with a number of federal, state and city agencies to launch the Waterfront Navigator—a website that will serve as an official source of information for businesses and waterfront property owners seeking to learn what tools are available to them. In addition, the website, WaterfrontNavigator.NYC, will help facilitate environmental permit applications for waterfront construction.

NYCEDC President Maria Torres-Springer says that the “one-stop” user friendly website is where regulatory agencies from the federal, state and local levels joined forces to create a resource for simplified permit planning.

Staten Island Ferry
One constant presence on the New York Harbor has been the Staten Island Ferry (or at least some incarnation of it). Formal service on the route between Manhattan and Staten Island was established in 1817 under the Richmond Turnpike Company when it began sailing the steam-powered Nautilus. Eventually, the City of New York took over the operation in 1905 when it ordered five new ferries for the route, each named after the city’s five boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and Staten Island.

Since then, a number of new ferries have been built and retired for the now famous orange Staten Island fleet. Currently, the fleet is made up on nine ferries providing service to 22 million passengers a year. And with the population on the island growing, demand is high for a new series of ferries that provide faster, more efficient ride.

Earlier this year, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed that the NYC Department of Transportation (NYC DOT), the agency that runs the Staten Island Ferry operation would be ordering three new ferries for the route. This would enable the operator to retire three of the older ferries in the fleet including the 51-year-old John F. Kennedy, commissioned in 1965. Additionally, the S.I. Newhouse and Andrew J. Barberi, both commissioned in 1981 will also be put out of service. The two hold the distinction of having the highest passenger capacities, with room for 6,000 passengers.

The three new 320 ft x 70 ft ferries are designed by Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group, and are expected to bare a striking resemblance to the beloved Kennedy, with lots of open-air space. The ferries will also be double-ended and have capacity for 4,500 passengers.

The ferries, which will be built to ABS class requirements, will be powered by Tier 4 EMD engines and Voith Schneider Propulsion drives.

Glosten Inc. will act as the Owner’s Representative [Team] providing all construction management and oversight on behalf of the NYCDOT.

Industry Day Reveals Interested Parties
At the New Staten Island 4500 Class Ferry Industry Day event held last September at the Whitehall Terminal, the NYC DOT laid out details on the Ollis class project as well as its target dates.

The city operator expects for bids to be due 90 days after it was advertised (sometime in the 3^rd Quarter of 2016)—we should note that as we were going to print, the NYC DOT released the Request for Bids (RFB) for construction of the ferries; and expects to issue a Notice to Proceed (NIP) contract start by the 4^th Quarter of 2016. The NYCDOT expects all three vessels to be completed within 1,460 consecutive calendar days following NIP.

Looking at the Industry Day’s attendance sheet, one could wager a guess on what yards will be bidding on the project. Conrad Shipyards, Dakota Creek Industries, Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, GD NASSCO, Leevac Shipyards, Vigor Industrial, and VT Halter Marine were all in attendance.

The first of the three new ferries, the Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, is expected to begin operations in 2019. The ferry is named in honor of the late U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, a native of the New Dorp area of Staten Island, who died while saving a Polish soldier in Afghanistan. He was only 24 years old at the time of his passing.

Vessels two and three in the Ollis Class are to be delivered later in 2019 and 2020.

FTA awards ferry grants, WETA expands
The Staten Island Ferry system will also get a boost from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Under its Passenger Ferry Grant Program a total of ten projects received a combined $59 million in funding. Of that, $6 million will go to the NYC DOT, which will use part of the funds to replace the deck scows (barges) for the Staten Island Ferry Dockbuilding Unit as well as upgrade the Staten Island Ferry Maintenance Facility Ramps and Racks.

WETA The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) was also a recipient of the FTA grants. Under the program, WETA will receive $4 million to expand berthing capacity at the Ferry Terminal from its current four berths to six, and the construction of three new ferry gates. According to WETA the expansion project is set to begin Summer 2017. WETA says the project will improve landside conditions at the Ferry Terminal by providing new amenities, such as weather-protected canopies, the construction of a new plaza area south of the Ferry building, the extension of pedestrian promenade areas and other public access improvements. The expansion will also enable WETA to stage emergency water transit services in the event of a regional transportation disruption or disaster.

“Improvements to the San Francisco Ferry Building ‘hub’ is a key element to expanding our services on the Bay, and validation of the important role ferry service will play in the future of the Bay Area’s transit infrastructure,” says Nina Rannells, Executive Director of WETA.

The improvements come at a time of growth for WETA. The ferry system in the Bay area has experienced a boost in ridership over the last few years and to help meet increasing passenger demands WETA has invested in both new ferries and is currently in the process of converting/refurbishing other members of the fleet.

Last April, the operator awarded Kvichak, a Vigor company, the contract to build two all-aluminum 400-passenger only ferries. The 135 ft x 38 ft catamarans, currently under construction—the hulls are being built by Kvichak and the superstructure is by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, were designed by Australia’s Incat Crowther, and will be equipped with MTU 12V4000 M64+ EPA Tier III engines rated at 1,950 bhp at 1,830 rev/min. The engines, coupled to ZF7600 reduction gears, will enable the ferries to reach a top speed of 27 knots. Delivery of the ferries is expected to occur November 2016 and April 2017.

Beyond the newbuilds, WETA also has two of its existing ferries, the MV Intintoli and MV Gemini, undergoing upgrades at San Diego-based Marine Group Boat Works.

At press time, the MV Intintoli was nearly done undergoing a propulsion upgrade. Meanwhile, the MV Gemini is currently undergoing a minor refit to help improve vessel reliability and passenger amenities, according to WETA’s Ernest Sanchez. Among the improvement is the refurbishment of shafts, propellers and rudders, and the replacement of bearings; plus the overhaul of the Selective Catalyst Reduction System as well as the main engines, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, emission and fire and lifesaving safety systems.

The Gemini’s conversion from a Subchapter T to a Subchapter K ferry—means an increase in passenger capacity from 149 to 225 and an upgrade of the interior spaces. The MV Gemini project will be completed this summer.

WSF phases out older ferries
While New York City and San Francisco get ready to up the ferry ante, up in the Northwest, the largest ferry operator in the U.S., Washington State Ferries continues its newbuild program in the hopes of phasing out older members of its fleet and improving safety and efficiency. The ferry division of the Washington State Department of Transportation recently announced that construction has officially began on the state’s newest ferry, the Suquamish.

The keel was laid last month at Vigor’s Harbor Island Shipyard in Seattle, where Governor Jay Inslee, State Senator Christine Rolfes, and Suquamish Tribal Chairman Leonard Forsman struck ceremonial welds on to the keel—Inslee welded his granddaughter’s initials, Rolfes welded an orca whale, and Forsman welded a circle with a dot, an ancient design element found in the early Suquamish winter village.

The Suquamish is the fourth ferry in the Olympic Class, which was designed by Seattle-based Guido Perla & Associates, Inc., and is based on the Issaquah class design, WSF’s most versatile ferry. The Olympic class ferries each have capacity for 144 cars and 1,500 passengers.

While construction has officially started on the Suquamish, the third ferry in the class, the Chimacum, is about 75 percent complete. In April, Chimacum’s superstructure, built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, was joined to its hull at Vigor.

The Chimacum is expected to go into service on the Seattle/Bremerton route in 2017. WSF is expected to take delivery of the Suquamish in the Fall of 2018.

The total cost to build four Olympic Class ferries is $515.5 million.

The hope for WSF is to continue “investing in long-term ferry build programs” in order to keep up with increasing ridership numbers—WSF carries more than 23 million riders and 13 million cars, annually— in addition to replacing aging members of the fleet, said Matt Von Ruden, Director of vessels for WSF.

One of those aging vessels, the Hiyu was officially retired last month after nearly 50 years of service. Considered cute by many, it was even affectionately called “Baby Hiyu” by some, the ferry was tiny in size—only 162 ft long with a maximum capacity for 199 passengers and 34 vehicles—but lacked ADA accommodations and incurred high maintenance costs, rendering it obsolete.

“While the Hiyu was a good and dependable vessel, its tiny size means it is no longer the best option for moving passengers and commerce across the Puget Sound,” said Elizabeth Kosa, Washington State Ferries’ Chief of Staff. “The addition of modern, bigger and faster Olympic Class vessels to the fleet means its time to bid farewell to the Hiyu.”

Conrad christens MV Woods Hole for Steamship Authority
As we were going to press, the Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority was prepping to take delivery of its newest ferry, the M/V Woods Hole.

Built by Conrad Shipyard, the ferry, was christened on May 20^th at Conrad Aluminum, Amelia, LA. Called a “beauty” and a “perfect example of the ships built by Conrad…quality in every detail,” by Project Manager Thomas Rachal, the ferry features state-of-the-art technology, WiFi stations, a snack area, and oversized reclining leather seats for passenger comfort.

The M/V Woods Hole, designed by Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), is 235 ft x 64 ft with a maximum draft at 10 ft 6 inches. It has a passenger (plus crew) capacity of 384, car capacity of 55 and the freight-vehicle deck is designed to carry ten 100,000 lb tractor-trailers.

It features a highly shaped bulbous bow to help minimize wave and improve fuel efficiency. Further improving efficiency are Becker high-lift rudders, which, when working in combination with the controllable pitch propeller system and vectorable bow thruster provide the ferry with high maneuverability in a small area.

Powering the M/V Woods Hole are a pair of MTU 16V4000 EPA Tier 3 engines providing 2,680 hp connected to Hundested controllable pitch propellers, generating service speeds of 12 to 14 knots and sprint speeds of 16 knots.

The ferry is expected to go into service sometime this month providing service between Woods Hole and Martha’s Vineyard.

Alaska Class Ferries Get Named
Meanwhile, another EBDG-designed ferry series, the new Alaska Class ferries being built for the Alaska Marine Highway System have officially been named. Following a call to students from Alaska’s Governor Bill Walker to submit essays on what the ferries names should be, two students, seventh grader Malea Voran and 10^th grader Taylor Thompson, won the naming rights.

The two new ferries will be named Tazlina, which Voran explained in her essay was an Ahtna Athabaskan name that means “swift river”, and the Hubbard, after the Hubbard Glacier, which Thompson says “surpasses all others (glaciers) in its beauty and magnificence. A ferry named after it would surely do the same.” The Hubbard Glacier has actually thickened over the years as opposed to melting like its other glacier counterparts, making it an anomaly to the science community.

The 280 ft ferries are being built in modules by Vigor’s Ketchikan Alaska Shipyard. Once the modules are complete—with pipes, electric cable raceways and other systems installed—they will be set in place and attached to the ships.

The two-day boat Alaska Class ferries will seat up to 300 passengers and carry 53 standard size vehicles. Delivery is expected from the yard in 2018.

January 14, 2016
News

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 Voyage Last 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.

BaynesSoundConnectorSA Baynes 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
Built 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 Samferdselsfoto Ampere’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 15h01m01s183 Designed 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 o Delivered 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
2Gauthier Canada’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.

The 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
OScarB Wahkiakum 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.

December 10, 2015
News

The Best Passenger Ships of 2015

1. Veteran, 80m Ice Class Ferry, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Damen Galati
The Veteran is part of a large “lifeline” vessel replacement program being undertaken by the Provincial Government to modernize its fleet.

2. Sally Fox, 105 ft Fast Ferry, King County, All American Marine
Sally Fox is the first U.S. Coast Guard Sub-chapter “K” inspected passenger vessel built and delivered under new fire safety guidelines.

3. Baynes Sound Connector, Longest Cable Ferry, BC Ferries, Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards
BC Ferries’ cable ferry, the 150-passenger, 50-vehicle Baynes Sound Connector is the longest cable ferry in operation today.

4. Texelstroom, CNG Hybrid Ferry, TESO, LaNaval
The ferry will operate mainly on natural gas stored in two batteries of compressed natural gas (CNG) bottles installed on the top deck.

5. Ampere, Electric Ferry, Norled, Fjellstrand
Norled’s Ampere is the world’s first battery powered electric car and passenger ferry.

6. Mein Schiff 4, 99,500 grt Cruise Ship, TUI Cruises, Meyer Turku
Designed for the German premium-class cruise market, the 99,500 gt Mein Schiff 4 is 294 m long and 36 m wide and has a total of 1,253 cabins.

7. Samish, 144-Car Ferry, Washington State Ferries, Vigor Industrial
Designed by Seattle-based Guido Perla & Associates, Inc., the Samish is the second in the Olympic Class vessels being built for WSF. The 362 ft ferries have a capacity of 144 cars and 1,500 passengers.

8. F.A. Gauthier, First LNG Ferry for North America, STQ, Fincantieri
The ship’s integrated diesel electric propulsion system has four Wärtsilä 12V34DF dual-fuel generating sets. that can run on either LNG or MDO Gas – LNG) or marine diesel oil (MDO).

9. Viking Star, 48,000 grt Cruise Ship, Viking Ocean Cruises, Fincanitieri
The Viking Star is the first of the three 48,000 grt, 930 passenger cruise ships on order for the line at Fincantieri’s Marghera, Italy, shipyard.

10. Oscar B., 115 ft Ferry, Wakiakum County, Nichols Brothers Boat Builders
Designed by Seattle’s Elliott Bay Design Group the steel-hulled, aluminum superstructured vessel has been built for Wahkiakum County, Washington State as a replacement for the ferry Wahkiakum.

October 13, 2015
News

Innovations: Breaking the Mold

The goal is to create a one-of-a-kind floating island that will be the go-to destination for boat passengers on Lake Michigan. “I have family that lives in Los Angeles and sails out to Catalina, where they can enjoy a nice lunch and a glass of wine, and still be back in LA that night,” explains D’Arcy. “I caught myself saying, ‘Why don’t we have a Catalina in Chicago?’” That, says D’Arcy, was the moment the light bulb went on and the wheels were set in motion for the creation a floating island that would serve as a remote boating destination featuring swimming pools and restaurants on board.

Breakwater Chicago will be a 300 ft by 100 ft USCG regulated Subchapter H passenger vessel on a barge-type platform that will safely accommodate about 2,700 guests and 300 staff members. As D’Arcy tells Marine Log, the floating island will offer guests a “portfolio of entertainment options, including three restaurants, spa, shops, swimming pools, sunning decks, lounge, private club and event spaces.”

The island, which will be reachable by boats, will offer dock spaces for those who own and operate their own vessels; and for those who don’t, a water taxi will be made available to reach the island.

And for those wondering how Breakwater Chicago will deal with the region’s harsh winter weather, the company plans to have the Breakwater Chicago tugged in and attached to the shore. This, assures D’Arcy, will enable guests to walk directly on and off the island while the lake is frozen. He adds, “The entire vessel will then be enclosed in a clear dome, thus allowing our venue to continue providing a summer-like experience even when the outdoor temperatures plummet below freezing. Inside the dome, guests will be able to lay out at our pools, work on their suntans, enjoy a beverage and the beautiful view, and feel like they’ve escaped from the “Chiberian” winter, even if just for a short time. As crazy as this sounds, similar dome materials and construction have been installed on the new football stadium for the Minnesota Vikings and several other NFL stadiums have similar plans in progress.”

From Concept to Construction
To make the Breakwater Chicago a tangible reality, D’Arcy created a Kickstarter Campaign in 2014. The campaign more than doubled its original goal, and was successfully funded by more than 700 backers donating over $60,000. Now, $60,000 is just a drop in the bucket when you consider the project could amount to $23 million, but the campaign helped generate buzz for the project and got the ball rolling.

This project won’t mark the first time a barge has been used for creating a communal entertainment space. Seven years ago the Floating Pool lady, a barge featuring a pool was moored on the East River, creating a splash in the NYC area. The original Lady still sits on the river, most recently at Barretto Point Park in the Bronx, NY, providing free pool access to an underserved community. New York also has plans to further its floating pool endeavors, with a “Plus Pool” a possibility in the future.

That spirit of creating and giving back to the community is what D’Arcy is after. For Breakwater Chicago, D’Arcy hopes the floating island will enchant the community as much as the city of Chicago enchanted him as a kid.

“I grew up in the suburbs just outside of Chicago, in a small town called Plainfield, but my dad worked in the city,” says D’Arcy. “When I was a kid, my mom, sister and I would take the train to the big city to visit my dad, and go to staple Chicago attractions. There’s just something special and enchanting about Chicago and I realized that at an early age.”

“As the idea behind Breakwater Chicago began to take shape, it was suggested to me that Breakwater could become another iconic feature for Chicago. That was a wide-eyed moment for me personally; to think that a kid from Plainfield, IL, could do something at that level,” says D’Arcy.

To give back, the company has formed the Breakwater Sustainability Committee made up of local experts to ensure that the floating island is as efficient and sustainable as possible.

Its sustainability plan is broken down into six different agendas:

Help control nutrient levels in the waters of Lake Michigan
Highlight water conservation techniques and technologies
Utilize renewable energy wherever possible to reduce fossil fuel consumption
Follow LEED standards wherever possible to ensure efficient design
Employ energy-efficient technologies and systems inn all facets of design
Create a recycling program that pushes past the traditional blue bins

The goal for Breakwater is: to design, build and operate the vessel in the “most efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly manner possible.” To that end, the company has called upon project management firm Projx Construction Group and has asked Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group to lead its naval engineering team. EBDG Project Manager Mike Complita, PE says the project is a unique and fun one, with a great customer. “We are enjoying the dynamic and creative nature of this project,” he adds.

According to D’Arcy, EBDG is working on converting its conceptual design, which was developed by local architectural firm, Space Architects + Planners, into a full set of construction plans. Once that’s in place, a yard will be chosen and construction is expected to begin in early 2016.

After the Breakwater Chicago is complete, delivered and operational, D’Arcy believes the floating island concept could be replicated elsewhere. “Our company is excited to deliver the first ‘floating island’ of its kind in Chicago, but we definitely have ambitions to replicate our business model around the world,” adds D’Arcy. “The second Breakwater vessel will likely be overseas, but we have not yet determined which city. There are lots of great, water-based cities in all parts of the world, so we’ll have some fun but difficult decisions to make on our growth strategy in the coming months.”

To learn more and stay up-to-date on Breakwater Chicago’s progress visit: www.breakwaterchicago.com

—By Shirley Del Valle, Managing Editor

October 13, 2015
News

Pacific Maritime: A vital maritime cluster

“In the more than seven years that Shell has held leases in the Chukchi, it has only recently been allowed to complete a single well. What we have here is a case in which a company’s commercial efforts could not overcome a burdensome and often contradictory regulatory environment,” says Murkowski. “The Interior Department has made no effort to extend lease terms, as recommended by the National Petroleum Council. Instead, Interior placed significant limits on this season’s activities, which resulted in a drilling rig sitting idle, and is widely expected to issue additional regulations in the coming weeks that will make it even harder to drill. Add this all up, and it is clear that the federal regulatory environment—uncertain, ever-changing, and continuing to deteriorate—was a significant factor in Shell’s decision.”

Murkowski made the point that just because the U.S. has created a difficult environment for offshore drilling in the Arctic, it doesn’t mean other countries have. “Development in the Arctic is going to happen—if not here, then in Russia and Canada, and by non-Arctic nations,” says Murkowski. “I personally believe that America should lead the way. The Arctic is crucial to our entire nation’s future, and we can no longer rely solely on private companies to bring investments in science and infrastructure to the region. As the Arctic continues to open, we urgently need to accelerate our national security investments in icebreakers, ports, and other necessities.”

Some Congressional opponents of Arctic drilling applauded Shell’s move. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) called offshore Arctic drilling “unacceptable” and irresponsible. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) went so far as to introduce the Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act of 2015, which would prohibit new or renewed oil and gas leasing in the Arctic Ocean Planning Areas of the Outer Continental Shelf.

But this should probably be viewed more like a pause as opposed to a full stop. A more favorable regulatory environment for Arctic offshore drilling could develop if a Republican is in the White House in 2017 backed by a Republican-controlled Congress. Additionally, cheap oil and gas should also increase consumption and eventually lead to higher prices and make Arctic drilling more economically attractive.

Shipyards, naval architects team on projects

Portland, OR, headquartered Vigor Industrial, the largest shipyard group in the Pacific Northwest with 12 facilities in Alaska, Washington, and Oregon, had bolstered its capabilities in anticipation of an increased workload. It added an 80,000-ton lifting capacity dry dock to enhance its ship repair and maintenance capabilities and merged with Kvichak Marine Industries, Seattle, WA, to add capabilities in new aluminum vessel construction. Vigor had supported Shell’s earlier efforts in Alaska, including the activation of the drilling barge Kulluk, and more recently repaired the damaged icebreaker Fennica.

Vigor is part of a vibrant Washington State maritime cluster that includes logistics and shipping, fishing and seafood, and shipbuilding and repair. According to a recent economic impact study, generated 148,000 direct and indirect jobs and directly creates $15.2 billion in gross business income and has a total impact of $30 billion on the state’s economy.

Back in March, Vigor “christened” its dry dock Vigourous with work on the cruise ship Norwegian Star and followed that up with repairs to the USNS John Glenn and USNS Montford Point. Now Vigor will turn its attention to completing the third Olympic Class 144-car ferry for Washington State Ferries and look forward to building the fourth in the series, which recently received $122 million in funding by the state legislature. There’s plenty of more coverage on the ferry market in this issue, including Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group’s support of ferry projects for the New York City Department of Transportation and Texas Department of Transportation.

Special launch system
Designed by Seattle-based naval architectural firm Guido Perla Associates, Inc., the144-car ferry is a joint construction effort between Vigor and neighboring Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Whidbey Island, WA. Nichols Brothers Boat Builders has been contracted to build the superstructure for the first three Olympic Class ferries. Nichols Brothers Boat Builders has used a new track and dolly system developed by Engineered Heavy Service (EHS), Everett, WA, for transferring the ferry superstructures it on to a barge for transport to assembly with the hull at Vigor Fab in Seattle.

That same transfer system is pictured on this month’s cover, to launch the ATB tug Nancy Peterkin, the first of two 136 ft x 44 ft x 19 ft sister ATB tugs being built for Kirby Offshore Marine.

This past May, Gunderson Marine, Portland, OR, had launched the Kirby 185-01, a oil & chemical tank barge.

The Nancy Peterkin’s sister ATB tug, the Tina Pyne, is set for launch this December.

The EHS launch system moved the ATB from the shipyard to the launch ramp. General Construction provided two floating cranes to assist in the final lifting of the vessel, shuttling it to deeper water.

The vessel was towed to Everett, for lightship, stability testing and fuel transfer. Following this the tug will be towed to Nichols Brothers outfitting pier in Langley, WA, located across the Puget Sound from Everett, WA, for final outfitting, dock and sea trials before its final delivery.

Used for vessels greater than 1,000 tons, the new launch system significantly increases the displacement and draft of the vessels that Nichols Brothers can haul and launch in the future. Currently the shipbuilder is engineering to install ridged buoyancy tanks to the side of the launch frame, eliminating the need for the floating cranes in the future.

Nichols Brothers followed up the launch with the signing of a construction security agreement with Kirby Offshore Marine to build two new 120 ft x 35 ft x 19 ft-3 in tugs. Each tug will be powered by two Caterpillar 3516C, 2,447 bhp at 1,600 rev/min main engines with Reintjes reduction gears turning two NautiCAN fixed pitched propellers with fixed nozzles. Karl Senner, Inc., Kenner, LA, supplied the reduction gears for the vessel. These vessels will also have two C7.1 Caterpillar generators for electrical service. Selected deck machinery includes one TESD-34 Markey tow winch, one CEW-60 Markey electric capstan, and one Smith Berger Tow Pin.

Keels will be laid for both vessels this fall with delivery of the first vessel scheduled for May 2017 and the second vessel is scheduled for delivery in November 2017.

Jensen Maritime Consultants, Seattle, the naval architectural and engineering arm of Crowley Maritime, will provide the ABS Class and functional design for the tugboats. These tugboats will carry an ABS loadline, compliant with USCG, as required at delivery.

Nichols Brothers is currently working on the second ATB Tug for Kirby Offshore Marine.

Nichols Brothers spokesperson Lacey Greene says the shipyard has just begun construction of the American Samoa 140 ft Multi-Purpose Cargo/Passenger Ferry, and next year will begin construction on the superstructure and final assembly of the WETA 400-passenger high speed catamarans.

“The vessel construction boom in the Pacific Northwest has impacted the economy in so many different ways,” says Greene. “Specific to our location our community is flourishing. Nichols Brothers is the largest private employer on Whidbey Island in Washington State and employs 300 men and women. We foresee the economic boom expanding even further; the tug market is strong in all aspects, from ATB tugs, tractor Tugs, to line tugs. We also see the passenger vessel industry sector thriving, and we predict additional passenger only high-speed ferries coming down the pipeline as well as leisure vessels.”

Jensen Maritime is also providing construction management services for the Crowley product tankers under construction at Aker Philadelphia Shipyard. It’s also been busy working on developing LNG bunker barge concepts and recently received approval from ABS for a 452 ft-long ATB version.

Engineering consultant Art Anderson Associates, Bremerton, WA, has been increasing its staff and supporting the development of passenger-only ferry service in Puget Sound. Art Anderson’s Patrick R. Vasicek, PE, LEED AP, will be on hand at the Marine Log FERRIES 2015 Conference & Expo in Seattle to discuss, “An Exportable Life Cycle Assessment Tool for Determining Sustainable Visibility of Passenger-Only Ferry Routes and Systems.”

Ballast water treatment solution
Seattle-based naval architectural and engineering consultancy Glosten reports that Marine Systems Inc. (MSI) has delivered a pair of Ballast Treatment System Deck Modules, designed for tank barge and ship operations.

MSI turned to Glosten to develop the design in response to requests from vessel operators and the first of a kind modular ballast water treatment units combine expertise from Glosten, MSI and Alfa Laval, which provided PureBallast 3.1 treatment systems, Filtrex high efficiency filters, and expertise from hundreds of ballast water management system installations.

The resulting modules, built at the Foss Seattle Shipyard, complete with lighting, ventilation, and integrated controls, were shipped ready for “plug-and-play.”

Each Ballast Module packs a treatment capacity of 1,000 m3/hr within a 20-foot shipping container footprint and is ABS and U.S. Coast Guard approved for hazardous area installations.

Using the module reduces the technical demands on busy shipyards. Rather than juggling independent components and vendors, shipyards can instead focus on fabricating a few well-defined interfaces and foundation system. Each purchased module comes pre-approved by USCG and ABS, is fully tested prior to shipment, and includes integration support from MSI and Glosten engineers.

“The demands of the vessel operator drove this design,” says Kevin Reynolds, Principal at Glosten. “Doing this as a manufactured product ensures that we get it right, every time.”

October 13, 2015
News

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 Ferry2 When 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.

The 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.

Staten 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

October 13, 2015
News