Nichols Brothers delivers second of two Lindblad coastal cruise ships

National Geographic Venture

NOVEMBER 13, 2018 — Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Freeland, WA, has delivered the second of two 100-passenger cruise vessels ordered by Lindblad Expeditions in December 2015.

The first vessel, National Geographic Quest, was delivered in July 2017 and has since voyaged to Alaska, Costa Rica and Panama. The second, National Geographic Venture was delivered November 1, 2018 and will be embarking on its maiden voyage in December down the Pacific coast, before she begins her season in Baja.

National Geographic Venture, a 238′-6″ x 44′ x 10′ Jones Act coastal cruise vessel, is a state-of-the-art, purpose-built expedition cruise vessel made for exploring coastal waters, shallow coves, and fast-moving channels where wildlife congregates. Spacious cabins, open decks for wildlife viewing, and specialty tools for exploration make it an ideal platform for sailing in remote areas.

The U.S. flagged, USCG Subchapter K, SOLAS compliant cruise vessel is classed with Bureau Veritas.

The ship is powered by two MTU diesel engines each developing 1,600 HP and driving Wärtsilä propellers through Reintjes reduction gears. The ship’s power is provided by two 477 kW Volvo Penta generators, backed up by a 230 kW emergency generator.

A 300 kW Schottel bow thruster is installed to assist mooring evolutions and Quantum Maglift stabilizers were added to this second vessel.

The precise requirements were that the vessel include accommodations for 108 passengers and 50 crew members, while also maintaining a maximum scantling length of 200 feet, tonnage below 100 US GRT/3,000 ITC and SOLAS compliance. Additionally, the vessel was designed to accommodate a fitness room and spa, an outdoor companionway around the entire sun deck, and features dining and entertainment facilities and state-of-the-art expedition technology.

To meet the specific design requirements set by Lindblad Expeditions to meet operational needs and passenger comfort, NBBB contracted with Jensen Maritime Consultants of Seattle, WA for functional engineering and with BMT Nigel Gee of the U.K. for production engineering for modifications on the sun and lounge deck.

Jamestown Metal Marine Services (JMMS) of Boca Raton, FL, was contracted for interior systems design and material services and provided and installed high-end architectural finishes throughout the vessel. Furnishings for public space areas, passenger and crew cabins were custom-made to suit Lindblad Expeditions’ design selections and regulatory requirements. Custom prefabricated toilet modules were developed for both crew and passenger cabins. The galley and food service areas were designed, constructed and inspected to the latest USPHS CDC standards.

NBBB contracted design and material services for the various ship systems, including fire prevention and detection, alarm and monitoring, communications, power management and water treatment services.

JMMS worked hand-in-hand with NBBB to coordinate these engineering systems for production installation ship-wide, seamlessly integrating mechanical and electrical with architectural systems to result in a ship with highly-functional expeditionary voyage capabilities, visual appeal and luxurious comfort for both passengers and crew.

Project Manager, George Capacci commented, “The entire team at Nichols along with our large number of specialized subcontractors have worked diligently to produce a quality ship, National Geographic Venture, that will serve our customer and ultimately their cruising passengers safely and securely for many, many years.”

“This is another important milestone for us, and many people have worked tirelessly in the making of one of the most sophisticated ships built in the U.S,” said Sven Lindblad, CEO of Lindblad Expeditions. “We are extremely grateful for their collective efforts, and are excited to share this spectacular vessel with our guests and crew.”

Gavin Higgins, CEO of NBBB said, “it has been a great experience to work with the Lindblad team to build these two expedition cruise vessels. Sven Lindblad is a pioneer in the market, and he and his team have been great to work with.”