Alaska may try to sell 52 year old state ferry

 

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

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

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

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.”

VIDEO: Chilean Navy scuttles salvaged ferry

Following the grounding, the ferry, the 126.31 m Amadeo I operated by Navimag, was parbuckled and refloated by Resolve Marine, in an operation that was the subject of a case study presented at this year’s Marine Log Marine Salvage Conference by Sam Kendall-Marsden, Syndicate Director, Charles Taylor and Co. Limited and Todd Schauer, Director of Operations, Resolve Fire & Salvage (Americas), Inc.

Subsequent to the salvage, however, insurers declared the vessel a Total Constructive Loss.

amadeo 500pxThe Chilean Maritime Authority (DIRECTEMAR), which is a department of the Chilean Navy, granted permission for the vessel to be sunk under its supervision in 2,700 m of water, northwest of Puerto Natales and over 70 km off Diego de Almagro Island.

Photo from DIRECTEMAR shows Amadeo I prior to parbuckling operation

The sinking was the final chapter in a story that began in 1976 when the vessel was delivered by Norwegian shipbuilder Trosvik Versted as the Seaspeed Dana. Since then, the vessel had sailed under a variety of owners, flags and names.

According to the Chilean Navy, DIRECTEMAR decided that the vessel should be sunk as hull damage was so extensive as not to allow for safe passage during towing to a port for scrapping. Dismantling the ferry in situ was also ruled out because of the risk of serious environmental impact from what would have been a long operation in a location subject to extreme weather conditions.

The Chilean Navy says that prior planning to ensure compliance with strict precautions for the protection of the marine environment meant that the sinking went “smoothly and according to plan.”

Cuba cruise and ferry services get a little nearer

 

They will take effect on Monday, September 21, 2015, when they are published in the Federal Register. Coincidentally, or probaby not, that’s the day before Pope Francis arrives in Washington, DC, from Cuba.

The Pope is widely credited with initiating the dialogue that led to the new direction in U.S.-Cuba relationship.

A fact sheet issued by the the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Commerce includes the following regulatory changes:​

While there’s no explanation as to how spacecraft got in there, the “temporary sojourn” authorization should be particularly useful to Carnival Corporation’s start up brand fathom. It intends offering cultural exchange voyages to Cuba starting in May 2016, using the 704 passenger cruise ship as a “comfortable home base” during travelers stay on the island.

Cruise lines and ferry operators are now waiting for the Cuban permissions needed to initiate service.

Read the Treasury backgrounder HERE

Deltamarin unveils design for 80 m LNG fueled ferry

The ready-to-apply DeltaLinx design uses existing technologies to its full potential and integrates them into the smallest possible package, enabling the ferry to operate in small ports and congested harbors. The propulsion system utilizes LNG as fuel to eliminate SOx and to reduce NOX and CO2 in exhaust gases.

A large LNG tank below the car deck is designed for weekly refueling.

The vessel length of approximately 80 meters allows easy operations between smaller towns and congested ports. High-lift rudders and a bow thruster make maneuvering easy.

Reduced resistance and low wash are ensured by streamlined hull lines. To cope with rough weather along the route, an extensive freeboard in the bow area is provided. Additionally fin stabilizers ensure smooth sailing.

The spacious multipurpose passenger facilities allow for seasonal adjustments by operators. They are arranged on two decks and include a spacious restaurant and pub, a children’s area and small spa corner.

Inside and outside seating combined with an exclusive SkyRoom mean that the ferry is an exciting place in all weather conditions.

To make the vessel suitable for disabled persons, a passenger lift from the car deck is provided.

The main car deck can accommodate up to 82 cars (incl. partial mezzanine deck) or 16 trucks. The bow and stern ramp arrangement enables easy drive-through loading and unloading operations. The unobstructed main deck (exhaust casings at sides) also helps to smooth the cargo operations.

The ship’s main dimensions and watertight subdivision ensure compliance with SOLAS 2009 and the Stockholm Agreement. Lifeboats and Mass Evacuation System (MES) are installed onboard for full international as well as domestic voyages. A Man Overboard Boat (MOB) and rescue boats are also provided. Fire safety is ensured by proper fire zone arrangement and state-of-the-art fire-fighting equipment.DeltaLinx main dimensions

Length     Lpp     73.10 m
Loa     80.40 m
Breadth     B     18.00 m
Draft     T     4.00 m
Height (car deck)     H     6.75 m
Deadweight     dwt     1,220 t
Cargo capacity     lane meters     360 lm
cars only     82
trucks only     16
Passengers     no.     800 persons
Service speed     V     15 kn.
Total propulsion     P     6,000 kW
Class notation: DNVGL 1A1 Car Ferry A MCDK COMF-C(2)V(2) E0 F-M NAUT-AW CLEAN DESIGN DG-P GAS FUELLED TMON PWDK

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