Incat Crowther marks 500-vessel milestone

OCTOBER 26, 2017 — Australian naval architectural firm Incat Crowther marked an historic milestone with the design of its 500th vessel, following the launch of a new 27m catamaran passenger ferry built for the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Somerset, MA.

“To have successfully designed 500 large commercial vessels is no accident,” says Incat Crowther CEO Brett Crowther. “Incat Crowther will continue to invest in our people and process to deliver innovative yet practical technical solutions to our operator and shipbuilding partners. It’s apt that our 500th vessel is a Gladding-Hearn build. We’ve built many vessels together and our philosophies align.”

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding has been building Incat designs for more than 30 years. “Gladding-Hearn’s philosophy is to build commercial vessels that make our customers successful,” says Peter Duclos, Director of Business Development at Gladding Hearn. “This vessel for the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority is a great example of the robust passenger transit vessels we are so well known for.”

Christened Champion earlier this month by MBTA General Manager Luis Manuel Ramírez, the catamaran seats 110 passengers internally and has a total capacity of 150 passengers. It will support the MBTA’s commuter boat service between the communities of Hull, Hingham, and Logan Airport in East Boston and Long Wharf in Boston

Fully ADA compliant, with a total of four wheelchair spaces and accessible bathroom, the vessel also features a concession area, luggage rack, bicycle storage for 10 and a ticket counter.

The design is optimized for bow loading, with double-width gates and doors. The bow design integrates with the existing shore based infrastructure and the wheelhouse is designed to meet strict visibility requirements, allowing the captain to clearly see the foredeck.

Champion’s superstructure is isolated by resilient mounts, to reduce noise and vibration in the cabin, allowing the vessel to exceed the contractual requirements.

Champion is powered by two Caterpillar C32 Acert engines, each developing 1,450 bhp at 2,100 rev/min, driving Hamilton HM571 water jets, for a service speed of 26 knots and a top speed of 30 knots.

Incat Crowther, as you might recall, is also the designer of NYC Ferry’s new fleet, which was built by both Metal Shark at its Franklin, LA, facility, and Horizon Shipbuilding, Bayou La Batre, AL. Those vessels and the new service will be highlighted at Marine Log’s FERRIES 2017 Conference & Expo, which is scheduled for Nov. 9 &10, 2017 at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, NY.

CHAMPION
PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS
Length Overall 88 ft 7 in / 27.15 m
Length Waterline 80 ft 8 in / 24.6 m
Beam Overall 27 ft 11 in / 8.5 m
Draft (hull) 4 ft 2 in / 1.3 m
Depth 9 ft 3 in / 2.8 m
Construction Marine grade aluminum