Damen hands over RoPax ferry to Canadian customer

 

Launched at the end of March by Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania the vessel will start services from Fogo Island and Change Islands before the end of November.

MV Veteran was delivered by the shipbuilder on time and within budget.MV Veteran is the first of a two-vessel contract. Its design results from a partnership between Fleetway of Canada and Denmark’s Knud E. Hansen.

Several Canadian companies have provided services, rangingrom electrical equipment to fire-fighting systems, for the MV Veteran and its sister ship, the MV Legionnaire, which is scheduled for delivery from Galati in the spring of 2016 and will operate on the busy short-haul route from Portugal Cove to Bell Island.

The Veteran will replace the MV Earl Windsor built in 1975. The Legionnaire will replace the MV Beaumont Hamel built in 1985.

Both vessels are part of a large “lifeline” vessel replacement program being undertaken by the Provincial Government to modernize its fleet, which annually transports over 900,000 passengers, 400,000 vehicles and 20,000 tonnes of freight with more than 50,000 arrivals and departures.

As the region in which they operate is located near the Arctic, the vessels have to maneuver in drifting ice.

According to Damen Manager North America Jan van Hogerwou, the two new ferries can handle the impact of 40 cm-thick floating ice at 4 knots.

“Their rudders, hull and propellers have been strengthened and are outfitted with extra plate thickness for heavy winter conditions,” he says.

Damen Ferries Product Director Henk Grunstra says: “The highest certificate available for ferries is the Ice Class 1A Super certificate. These diesel-electric propelled vessels also have redundant systems. The bridge is ergonomically designed and has optimal working space for efficient and safe operation. The modern, low maintenance interior was designed by an internationally recognized designer. The shift crew lives on board the ship in 15 single crew cabins.”

A Canadian service and support hub for these vessels is being established. A certified Damen maintenance center will be located in the capital of the Newfoundland and Labrador region, St. John’s. An agreement with a local Newfoundland-based company is in place and its employees are currently being trained at Damen Shipyards Galati.

Front Street Shipyard to build carbon fiber hulled ferries

Working in conjunction with Maine Composites Alliance and Martin Grimnes, a Norwegian composites expert living in Maine, Arcadia Alliance is aiming its highly efficient ferries at state and federal agencies seeking to replace aging, less efficient passenger vessels.

Brødrene Aa designs and builds carbon-fiber passenger vessels in a modern shipyard, well suited for manufacturing of composite products, with a total of 3,000 square meters of fully moisture-and temperature controlled indoor facilities, The company has built 50 carbon ferries to date.

Carbon fiber ferries are lighter weight and consume less fuel than aluminum or fiberglass vessels, releasing fewer emissions into the air.

“Given the significance of ferry transport to travelers in coastal regions coupled with concerns about gas consumption and emissions, efficiency of our country’s ferries is critical,” says J.B. Turner, president of Front Street Shipyard. “Brødrene Aa has a progressive design to reduce consumption and emissions, and they have an exceptionally efficient construction method we can apply to the U.S. ferry market at Front Street Shipyard.”

Brødrene Aa is a 60-year-old company that introduced the world’s first carbon-fiber passenger vessel more than a decade ago.

It has built 50 carbon ferries to date. Last month it won an international tender issued by Guangzhou Panyu Lianhuashan Port Passenger Transport Co., Ltd , (subsidiary of Chu Kong Shipping Enterprises Holdings Co. Ltd) to design and build two coastal high speed catamarans for Hong Kong. The contract is for two identical vessels; both made of carbon fiber composites, each with a capacity of 270 passengers.

Representatives from Front Street Shipyard met with officers of Brødrene Aa in Hyen earlier this summer.

“Given Front Street Shipyard’s modern facility and boatbuilding capabilities, we believe their team can deliver the same high-quality vessels in the United States that we produce in Norway,” said Leif Riksheim, chairman of the board at Brødrene Aa.

The organizations are now working together to develop ferry designs for U.S. waters. The Arcadia Alliance sales team will begin marketing the boats later this year, with hopes that Front Street Shipyard will be able to begin construction on the first fast ferry in 2016.

Recent contracts won by Brødrene Aa include two 270 passenger coastal high speed catamarans for Hong Kong

 hong kong

All American delivers new ferry for King County

OCTOBER 7, 2015—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

Malaysia to get new high-speed ferry

Propulsion for high-speed ferry will be supplied by two Caterpillar C32 ACERT diesel engines that drive two 40 in fixed pitch propellers. The engines are rated at 970 kW at 2,100 rev/min. The ferry will have a service speed of 28 knots and maximum speed of 30 knots.

The BV-class 90 ft 3 in x 26 ft 3 in ferry will be able to accommodate 151 passengers in a full width cabin on its main deck. This area includes interior seating, a cargo luggage area, locker rooms for switchboards, and an entertainment bar. Aft of the cabin there will be three restrooms and a luggage room to hold cargo. A swim deck is featured below, on the aft portion of the main deck.

The mid deck cabin will accommodate 40 passengers and another 13 in outdoor seating aft. Forward of the cabin, is the pilothouse, including two captain’s chairs and a chart table. The port and starboard side feature a wing control station.

 

 

Incat Tasmania wins super ferry order from Denmark

 

The Hobart shipyard will commence work on construction of the wave piercing catamaran immediately, with delivery scheduled for the first quarter of 2017.

The newbuild super ferry, Incat hull number 088, will be named KatExpress 3, the fast ferry will be an upgraded and more customer-friendly version of near sister-ship vessels KatExpress 1 (Incat hull 066) and KatExpress 2 (Incat 067). The new fast ferry can take up to 1,000 tonnes of cargo, equivalent to up to 1,000 passengers and 417 cars. LikeKatExpress 1 and KatExpress 2, the new fast ferry will carry trucks, campervans, motorcycles and bicycles.

KatExpress 3 is expected to commence operation on the Mols Linien route between Aarhus and Odden and the route between Ebeltoft and Odden in late May 2017.

KatExpress 3 is likely to replace the company’s smallest ferry Max Mols, an Incat 91 m vessel (Incat hull 048) built in 1999.

Incat Chairman, Robert Clifford, in Copenhagen Denmark at the Interferry Conference said “A large ship order to a repeat customer is proof positive of the quality and reliability of the vessels our team build in Tasmania. This is the third Incat ship that Mols Linien have added to their fleet in a period of just four years”.

Incat Tasmania Managing Director Simon Carter said “We have been working on the project for some time, and although the design team still have some finer details to complete, construction will commence immediately”.

“The 250 production staff are currently building four passenger vessels for Manly Fast Ferries, with another six boat order for Sydney Ferries to commence in 2016. This new large ship order will secure work for an expanded workforce for at least a further two years”.

In a statement to the Danish Stock Exchange Mols-Linien announced that since the inauguration of the first super ferry it has increased the number of passenger cars it carries by 58 percent in the period from 2011 to 2014.

Damen delivers fast cats to three Korean ferry operators

The first vessel, the SeaStar 5, was delivered earlier this year to existing Damen customer Seaspovill,

Built at Damen Shipyards Singapore, the SeaStar 5 is a DFF 4212 ferry, 42.2 m in length with a beam of 11.6 m built to carry 450 people between Gangneung on the east coast of South Korea and the island of Ulleung-Do.

High levels of comfort characterize the passenger spaces, which are distributed over the main deck, which can accommodate 306 persons, and the upper deck, which caters for 144.

Powered by four MTU main engines (16V2000 M72), Sea Star 5 can reach speeds exceeding 40 knots.

The second delivery this year came in May, when operator Daezer Shipping took delivery of a DFFe 4212 named Sunrise. Delivered within three months of ordering, the vessel has the same powering arrangement and same speed capability as the SeaStar 5.

Sunrise is currently operating a route of very popular tourist destinations on Koreas East-coast from the island of Ulleung to Dokdo.

As a relatively new ferry operator and new customer to Damen, this recent acquisition has seen Daezer increase service offering in the region.

The third delivery of the year took place in late August when  the Queen Star 2 was delivered to established operator Seaworld Express Ferry Co. for operation on a three-hour route from Usuyoung Port to the popular tourist destination of Jeju Island via Chujado Island.

This is the first delivery of Damen’s newly designed DFFe 4010 with a controllable pitch propeller (CPP), providing increased fuel efficiency at different speeds and loading conditions.

Although slightly smaller than the DFFe 4212, the DFFe 4010 can accommodate to the same amount of 450 maximum passengers and with two engines instead of four; the vessel can still reach a top speed of 35 knots.

Mystery owner asks Incat Crowther to design fast ferry

The main deck allows for four passenger loading stations and features a large cabin, hosting 286 first-class seats, 20 lounge seats, and four handicap accommodation seating areas. The cabin also features a kid’s play area with surrounding seating.

On the aft deck is a cargo room with cargo loading gates, able to fit a portable conveyor belt for efficient loading and unloading. The aft deck also features three restrooms, one of them handicapped accessible.

The mid deck features cabin hosting 144 first-class seats and 32 lounge seats.

Forward of the cabin is the raised wheelhouse, with wing control stations on port and starboard sides. Aft of the cabin, a spacious deck that offers 112 exterior seats. A mini-bar is located in the center of the arrangement with a stage for entertainment behind the cabin.

The upper deck provides a large observation area including 36 exterior seats.Five  MTU 16V400M63L engines power the ferries five Hamilton HM-811 water jets  via ZF-7650 gearboxes, giving it a service speed of 37 knots.

Electrical requirements are met by two 150 ekW generator sets.

A 200hp bow thruster will enhance maneuverability and station keeping.

No word on the shipbuilder.

incat monohull

USCG to review WSF plan to handle LNG at terminals

Last year on June 27, the Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound had received a Letter of Intent (LOI) and a Waterway Suitability Assessment (WSA) from Washington State Ferries to modify their marine terminals to handle LNG. In accordance with regulation and policy guidance, the Captain of the Port (COTP), Coast Guard Puget Sound Sector, in cooperation with key stakeholders, will review and validate the information in the WSA. Once the COTP reviews the WSA, he will issue a Letter of Recommendation to the Washington Department of Transportation recommending the suitability of the Puget Sound waterways the will be used for LNG marine traffic as it relates to safety and security.

Public comments received last November regarding WSF’s proposal will be considered in the development of the COTP’s Letter of Recommendation. Some of the comments received expressed concern about the exposed location of the LNG tanks on the top deck of the converted ferries posed a security threat. Other comments thought that LNG poses a pollution threat to the environment. The Coast Guard will examine WSF’s Emergency and Operations Manuals covering the LNG transfer system and transfer procedures.

Proposed conversion

Once WSF receives the Letter of Recommendation from the Coast Guard, it will be able to move forward with the retrofit of the first Issaquah Class ferry, which will serve as a proof of concept for the remaining vessels in the class. The diesel-powered ferries carry about 1,200 passengers and 124 vehicles.

The state’s ferries, says WSF, are the largest single source of marine carbon emissions in the state. It expects to cut CO2, particulate matter, SOx, and NOx emissions significantly with the use of LNG s a marine fuel.

The WSDOT also expects to reap some cost savings, although the picture is not as compelling as it was last year when oil was at $100 per barrel. During testimony this past January before a State Senate Energy, Environment and Telecommunication Subcommittee, Lynne Griffith, Assistant Secretary of Transportation, Ferries Division, said there would be a $1 per gallon savings when burning LNG as compared with burning Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel. WSF burns about 18 million gallons of fuel annually. The cost of fuel now represents about 23 percent of the Fiscal Year 2013-2015 operting budget as compared with 11 percent in Fiscal Year 2000-2001. Any ferries that would burn LNG would have to be refueled by tanker truck every seven to 10 days.

 

Incat Tasmania wins contract for new Sydney ferries

Announcing the result of the competitive tender for the contract, NSW Minister for Transport Andrew Constance called the ferries “a major step forward in the NSW Government’s plans to modernize and expand the ferry network. “

 

Externally, the ferries have a traditional design to look similar to the Sydney First Fleet vessels, however the 35 m, 400 passenger boats have greater capacity than the current fleet.

The interior will be more spacious with comfortable inside seating, outdoor viewing areas, a large walk around deck and additional features for passengers; including Wi-Fi access and real-time journey information, and charging stations for electronic devices.

The Sydney Ferries will service commuter and tourist travel on the inner harbor routes from Watsons Bay in Sydney’s east to Cockatoo Island in the west, stopping at the new Barangaroo wharf.

With the contract secured, the Incat team’s next task is to take the concept design to detailed construction drawings and vessel models, with construction of the first ferry to start early in 2016. The six will be delivered progressively from late 2016 and throughout 2017.

The Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd shipyard at Prince of Wales Bay in Hobart Tasmania has around 250 staff.

“This is a great opportunity for Incat’s highly skilled and experienced workforce to participate in the construction of ferries for the iconic Sydney fleet,” said the yard’s Managing Director, Simon Carter. ” An order such as this, where six identical vessels are to be built, is welcomed by the existing staff and provides an excellent opportunity for training new personnel.”

Incat has recently completed two fast ferries for London, England, operator Thames Clippers. They are currently on their way to London and due to enter service in October. Four fast ferries — two 24 m and two 33 m boats — are also under construction for Sydney company Manly Fast Ferry.

Southwest Shipyard to build diesel electric ferry for TxDOT

Two of this class of ferries were delivered in 2011 and construction of the latest vessel, which is a diesel-electric version, will begin this fall. EBDG will serve as the owner’s representative.

TxDOT is a long-time EBDG client, and the firm has provided support to the agency since 2008. Following the successful completion of a multi-phased design effort for the first two 28-car ferries to offer service between Port Aransas and Harbor Island, EBDG was selected by TxDOT in 2014 to provide four years of on-call support. The first project under the new contract was for the design of the diesel-electric version of the 28-car ferry.

The new ABS-classed diesel-electric ferry has 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.

The new ferry is set to enters service in February 2017.

“EBDG is pleased to be providing the new generation of ferries for Port Aransas,” stated EBDG VP of Engineering, Brian King. “It’s nice to be once again working with TxDOT and Southwest Shipyard for the construction of another ferry. I am confident that Southwest Shipyard will do an excellent job.”

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