Eastern awarded Staten Island Ferry contract
The New York City Department of Transportation has awarded a contract for three 4,500-passenger ferries to Eastern Shipbuilding.
The 320-foot vessels that will link Staten Island with Manhattan are part of the new Ollis class named for Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, a Staten Islander who was killed in 2013 while fighting in Afghanistan. Delivery is expected in 2019.
The double-ended ferries will be powered by four EMD 12-710 Tier 4 engines linked with two Reintjes DUP 3000 P combining reduction gears turning a single Voith Schneider model 36 RV6 ECS/285-2 propeller on each end of the ferry. Total horsepower is estimated at 9,980.
Elliott Bay Design Group provided plans for the new ferries to be operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. Glosten will be the owner’s on-site representative during construction.
The Staten Island Ferry has served the city since 1905. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and has an on-time rate of nearly 96 percent. The 5.2-mile route connects St. George Terminal on Staten Island with Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan. The service carries more than 23 million passengers a year.
VT Halter launches first LNG con-ro for Crowley
VT Halter Marine has launched the first of Crowley’s Commitment-class con-ro ships that will run on liquefied natural gas, or LNG. Delivery of the lead vessel, El Coqui, is expected later this year.
El Coqui and sister vessel Taino will have the capacity for 2,400 TEU containers and up to 400 cars and other rolling cargo in fully enclosed ro-ro decks. The U.S.-flagged vessels will enhance Crowley’s existing Jones Act service between Jacksonville, Fla., and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Taino is scheduled for delivery next year.
“The launch of the El Coqui is a strong indication of our commitment to the success of our customer Crowley,” Paul J. Albert, CEO of VT Halter Marine, said in a prepared statement. “Our thanks to both the shipbuilders of VT Halter Marine and the Crowley project team for all their hard work in delivering such a significant vessel.”
El Coqui is named for a frog native to Puerto Rico, while Taino is named for indigenous people on the island. Crowley Marine Services is overseeing ship construction and Crowley subsidiary Jensen Maritime Consultants designed the ships.
The two vessels will be among the first LNG-fueled con-ro ships working around the world, and they will join TOTE in offering LNG-powered cargo service to Puerto Rico. LNG offers significant environmental benefits over marine diesel, eliminating sulfur oxide and particulate-matter emissions and reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by 92 percent.
Crowley is building an LNG bunkering facility at the Port of Jacksonville to serve the new ships.
Philly Shipyard delivers second LNG-ready ship
In late March, Philly Shipyard delivered the 600-foot American Freedom, the second of four U.S.-flagged LNG-ready petroleum product tankers for Kinder Morgan subsidiary American Petroleum Tankers (APT).
The 50,000-dwt American Freedom and its sister vessel American Endurance, delivered late last year, are based on plans developed by Hyundai Mipo Dockyards. The tankers have the capacity for 14.5 million gallons of crude or refined products, or about or about 460,000 barrels.
ABS has classed American Freedom as “LNG-Ready Level 1,” and it can be converted at a later time to run on liquefied natural gas.
American Freedom is the 26th vessel that Philly Shipyard has delivered over 20 years, and four other vessels are currently under construction. This includes two additional tankers for APT and two 3,600-TEU containerships for Matson Navigation Co.
Horizon delivers second NYC fast ferry
Horizon Shipbuilding has delivered its second high-speed catamaran for Hornblower’s NYC Ferry, formerly Citywide Ferry, in New York City. Eleven other boats are on the way from the builder.
The 84-by-26-foot, 150-passenger aluminum ferries were designed by Incat Crowther. The propulsion system features twin Moteurs Baudouin engines, ZF gears and Michigan Wheel props. The ferries will come in classes with 1,600 and 2,800 hp.
The second vessel, for now called H201, is scheduled to leave Horizon’s Bayou La Batre, Ala., yard shortly for the 13-day journey to New York. Hornblower expects to launch the NYC Ferry commuter service later this year with about 12 vessels. Horizon delivered its first ferry in the class about a month ago.
Metal Shark of Franklin, La., is building six ferries for the service. It has delivered two to Hornblower. At least 19 vessels are planned for NYC Ferry from both builders.
Eastern launches U.S.-flagged dredger for Weeks Marine
Eastern Shipbuilding has launched the trailing suction hopper dredger M/V Magdalen for Cranford, N.J.-based Weeks Marine. Construction on the U.S.-flagged vessel is underway at Eastern's Allanton facility in Panama City, Fla.
The 356-foot dredge is powered by twin GE 16V250 engines producing 5,682 total horsepower, while ship service power comes from a single GE 6L250 genset. The vessel also has twin 3,400-kW shaft generators and a Caterpillar C18 emergency generator.
Royal ICH subsidiary IHC America, Weeks Marine and Eastern Shipbuilding collaborated on the vessel design. The ship's hopper capacity is 8,500 cubic yards.
M/V Magdalen is named after Magdalen Noll Weeks, mother of company Chairman Richard Weeks. The expected delivery date was not disclosed.
Gladding-Hearn building launch for Alaska pilots group
Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding of Somerset, Mass., has announced an order for a 75-foot launch for the Southwest Alaska Pilots Association in Homer, Alaska. The Galveston-class vessel is slated for 2018 delivery.
The design for the all-aluminum, deep-V hull vessel was furnished by C. Raymond Hunt. Propulsion is provided by twin Cummins QSK38-M1 EPA Tier 3 diesel engines delivering 2,800 total hp linked with ZF-5000 gearboxes and Hamilton HM651 waterjets. The estimated top speed will be 28 knots.
Other components include two Cummins Onan 29-kW generators providing ship service power, while six Llebroc seats will be installed in the wheelhouse. Eight cameras are mounted throughout the boat, providing views of the engine room, waterjet room and aft deck. Two staterooms, showers and a small galley will be available for pilots during off times.
Given the rigors of an Alaska winter, the launch will have a heated deck, roof and handrails. Starboard-mounted rescue davits also can be controlled by a hand-held remote.
