FEBRUARY 25, 2016 — Puerto Rico is looking for a private sector partner to operate the ferry services provided by Maritime Transportation Authority for Puerto Rico and the Municipal Islands (MTA) and
FEBRUARY 22, 2016 —Singapore headquartered Otto Marine is succeeding in diversifying the product mix at its Batam, Indonesia, shipyard. It has secured contracts worth a total $23 million from two Indonesian customers
FEBRUARY 10, 2016 — Melbourne, Australia, based BMT Design & Technology Pty Ltd (BMT), a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd, has recently completed a design project for the South Australian Government’s Department
Peng Xing was the first customer for CoCo Yachts’ Coastal Cruiser 199 design. This time round it has ordered another Coastal Cruiser 199 and one Coastal Cruiser 300, both with an option for one further vessel .
Peng Xing decided to continue with the Coastal Cruiser series is based on its experiences with a fleet of five of these ferries.
“The 27.5% lower fuel consumption, compared with their other vessels, and very low noise levels in the wheelhouse, crew
accommodations and passengers salons, in combination with good sea keeping performance, appeared to be very convincing,” says CoCo Yachts.
The Coastal Cruiser 199 will be delivered to Peng Xing Shipping Company in January 2017, with the Coastal Cruiser 300 following in April 2017. Both will be deployed to run services in the Pearl River delta between Shenzhen – Zhuhai – Hong Kong – Macau P.R. China.
| COASTAL CRUISER 199 | COASTAL CRUISER 300 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Length over all | 40.0 m | 42.3 m | |
| Beam over all | 9.3 m | 10.3 m | |
| Depth at mid ship | 3.4 m | 3.4 m | |
| Draft to baseline | 1.2 m | 1.3 m | |
| Economy passengers capacity | 159 @ 880 mm seat pitch | 232 @ 880 mm seat pitch | |
| Business passengers capacity | 30 @ 1000 mm seat pitch | 58 @ 1000 mm seat pitch | |
| VIP capacity | 10 | 10 | |
| Main engines | 2 x MTU 12V2000M7 | 22 x MTU 16V2000M72 | |
| Installed power | 2 x 1080 kW | 2x 1440 kW | |
| Waterjets | Rolls Royce S63-4 | Rolls Royce S71-4 | |
| Speed @ full load @ 95% MCR | 31.0 knots | 28.5 knots |
JANUARY 19, 2016 — Flensburg, Germany, based ferry operator FRS (Förde Reederei Seetouristik mbH) has acquired a majority interest in Seattle, WA, based Clipper Navigation, Inc., whose Clipper Vacations operates the Victoria
JANUARY 14, 2016 — New Zealand builder Q-West’s Wanganui shipyard has started construction of two 34 m catamarans. They represent a NZ$16 million (about US$10.3 million) investment by operator Fullers Group Ltd
JANUARY 13, 2016 — Wärtsilä is launching a complete concept for a series of zero or low emission shuttle ferries. The concept has been developed in line with new Norwegian environmental regulations
The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) has awarded the Alaska Class Ferry project to Vigor Alaska shipyard in Ketchikan, AK, where construction is currently underway.
The two day boat ferries will be 280-feet long, seat up to 300 passengers and carry 53 standard vehicles. Each ferry will feature bow and stern doors for quicker loading and unloading, fully enclosed car decks and controllable pitch propellers to maximize maneuverability and efficiency.
Seattle, WA, based naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy Glosten is providing production design for the ferry.
Vigor Alaska and Glosten are two of Cadmatic’s newest U.S. customers and Cadmatic says the production design of the Alaska Class Ferry is the premiere application of Cadmatic software in the northern U.S.
Glosten will deliver its design in the imperial unit versions of both Cadmatic Hull and Outfitting.
“Our team is excited to work not only with Vigor Alaska and Cadmatic – but also with exceptional, leading edge modeling tools,” says Ken Lane, Director of Production Services at Glosten. “It’s a terrific opportunity for all of our designers.”
Alan Coffin, Senior Project Manager at Vigor, says Cadmatic “has offered a unique opportunity to evaluate a world-class software platform. By opening the doors to new technologies, we anticipate improved efficiencies and advancement of our shipbuilding capabilities.”
The first U.S. customer to use the full design and production package of Cadmatic software was Edison Chouest Offshore’s North American Shipbuilding in 2013. Since then, other North American companies to joined the Cadmatic include Glosten, Vigor Fab, Genoa Design International, and VT Halter Marine.
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
The Juneau Empire reports that General Manager of the Ferry System Captain John Falvey and Michael Neussi, deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Transportation, have discussed what’s next for the Taku and “everything from selling it to trying to run it again” is on the table.
During a presentation last month, Mr. Neussl said he believed the ferry system would sustain itself by reducing the size of the fleet.
“I think the numbers are speaking that we can’t afford to operate an 11-ship fleet with the frequency of service that we’ve kind of become accustomed to,” he said on Sept. 15.
The Juneau Empire says the Taku would be on the block before others because it’s the smallest of the system’s main line ferries.
As the state’s budget forces the system to cut service and take ferries out of service, the ferries that are operating will run closer to capacity.
Built in 1963 by the Puget Sound Bridge & Dry Dock Company in Seattle,WA, the 352 ft Taku can carry 370 passengers and 69 vehicles.
It is one of three AMHS ferries that is SOLAS certified.
It is currently in lay up, serving as a “hotel ship” for other AMHS ships being overhauled at the Kechikan shipyard.
Read the Juneau Empire report HERE