World Marine buys Signal International assets
JANUARY 14, 2016 — World Marine LLC has bought the assets of shipbuilder Signal International, after the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware gave its go ahead for the sale
JANUARY 14, 2016 — World Marine LLC has bought the assets of shipbuilder Signal International, after the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware gave its go ahead for the sale
JANUARY 12, 2016 – Austal USA’s Mobile, AL, shipyard hosted a keel-laying ceremony yesterday for the future USS Tulsa (LCS 16), the first significant milestone in the ship’s construction. LCS 16 is
JANUARY 11, 2016 — Singapore listed shipbuilder Vard Holdings Limited, which is a 55.63% owned subsidiary of Fincantieri, reports that the first vessel was delivered January 8 from its newest shipyard, Vard
JANUARY 11, 2016 — A 20.5 MW Azipod XO podded propulsion unit has left ABB’s Vuosaari plant in Helsinki, Finland, headed for Meyer Werft’s Papenburg, Germany, shipyard. It will be installed on
JANUARY 10, 2016 — Andrew Bellamy is stepping down as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of shipbuilder Austal Limited (ASX:ASB). Announcing the move, Chairman John Rothwell said that Mr. Bellamy had
JANUARY 8, 2015 — Zwijndrecht, Belgium, headquartered dredging and hydraulic engineering specialist DEME reports the start of construction of its latest newbuild, the dual fueled multipurpose vessel Living Stone. The vessel is
JANUARY 5, 2016 — General Dynamics NASSCO delivered three lead ships in 2015: USNS Lewis B. Puller, the Isla Bella and the Lone Star State.Each is the lead ship in a new
DECEMBER 30, 2015 — Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) reports that it has signed a memo of agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri S.p.A. to build four new cruise ships
DECEMBER 30, 2015 — Philly Shipyard, Inc. reports that it has signed a commitment letter with Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation (Cat Financial) for a $150 million loan facility to finance the construction
The agency last week signed a Notice to Proceed giving shipbuilder Vigor Industrial the go ahead to get started on work on the fourth vessel in the 144-vehicle capacity ferry series and work will begin in January.
The new ferry is funded through the Connecting Washington transportation package which is being paid for through a hike in state gasoline taxes.
WSF is building the Olympic Class ferries to replace some of the fleet’s oldest vessels. The Olympic Class design is based on the Issaquah class, the most versatile vessel in the WSF fleet.
Two of four are in service, the third will be complete in 2017 and the fourth is scheduled for completion in 2018.
The first vessel, Tokitae, joined the Mukilteo/Clinton route in June 2014. The second, Samish, was put into service on the Anacortes/San Juans Island route in June 2015. Chimacum, the third ferry, will replace one of the older vessels on the Seattle/Bremerton route in 2017.
“Our top priority is keeping the ferry system safe and reliable for the millions of commuters, freight haulers and travelers who depend on us every year,” said WSF Chief of Staff Elizabeth Kosa. “Thanks to state lawmakers and critical funds from Connecting Washington, we are able to meet some of the ferry system’s most urgent needs, including building this new ferry.”
Like the other vessels in the class, the fourth ferry will be built at Vigor Industrial, supporting about 500 jobs at Vigor’s Seattle shipyard and contractors around the region.
The budget to build the vessel is $122 million, and delivery is scheduled for mid-2018.
The Washington State Transportation Commission is leading a public process to determine the fourth ferry’s name.
Olympic Class ferries are equipped with the latest emergency-evacuation and fire-suppression systems, two Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant elevators, and wider car-deck lanes that provide more room for passengers to access their vehicles.
The vessels’ hull design reduces wake and provides better fuel efficiency, while cleaner burning engines reduce emissions.
The first two Olympic Class ferries were delivered on time and under budget. The third vessel, under construction at Vigor, is on schedule and under budget and will be assigned to the Seattle/Bremerton route in early 2017.