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Fast Cat News

07 Mar 2022

New Zealand's First Fully Electric Ship is a Zero Polluter Down Under

(Photo: Stellar Studio)

The southern hemisphere’s first fully electric, carbon fiber commuter ferry has successfully completed its inaugural round trip with a Thordon seawater lubricated propeller shaft arrangement supplied by New Zealand’s Henley Engineering.Ika Rere , Mãori for flying fish, joined the East by West fleet in December operating the company’s Wellington to Eastbourne route.Commenting on the ferry’s first trip, between West Queen’s Wharf and Days Bay, Henley Engineering Managing Director, Mark Power, said: “Ika Rere runs like a Tesla Model S! It’s fast, efficient, smooth and quiet.

21 Apr 2017

Why Attend the Ferry Safety & Technology Conference?

© Oleksandr Dibrova / Adobe Stock

The Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) will host its upcoming Ferry Safety and Technology Conference May 11 and 12 in downtown New York. Besides the awards to winners of the Ferry Design Competition, there are many reasons to attend the conference. Below are a dozen. 1 - Learn about innovative new ferry systems in Africa, Asia and North America – ferry systems from which we can learn and that will need safety, communications, IT, training – equipment and services. 2- Listen to ferry operators from Bangkok, Manila and Abidjan as they speak about their challenges and successes.

14 Mar 2017

Ferry Safety and Technology Conference 2017

CREDIT: Mitch Waxman

There is a convergence of new advances in technology for ferries AND quantum leaps in ferry operations in Asia, Africa and North America. Can operating a ferry be made better safer and cheaper? Yes, says technology. What’s exciting about this year’s Ferry Safety and Technology conference, the Third Annual, is the promise of technology – how telematics, affordable sensors, and graphic visualization â€“ enhance safety, and vastly benefit the quality and cost of operations. This isn’t a conference for nerds and geeks – it’s for those of who need to use technology to understand it.

28 Oct 2016

New Plan Pledges Ferry Safety Lead

File photo: Eric Norcross

Interferry has unveiled a strategic plan promising to put safety issues at the heart of its work as the voice of the worldwide ferry industry. The pledge came at the global trade association’s 41st annual conference in Manila – a venue chosen to spotlight the challenges of domestic ferry safety in developing nations. According to Interferry, the plan signals its overriding ambition to help lift ferry safety in all parts of the world to the very high standard already in place in North America and Europe, where casualties in recent decades have been extremely rare.

24 Apr 2015

Boatbuilding in China

Xin Yue Feng Shipyard’s Chairman Luo Chaoneng with a pair of AHTs.

While much of the focus on coverage of the Chinese shipbuilding industry is on big shipbuilding, Maritime Reporter switches gears this month to explore activities in select boatbuilding sectors. The Damen boatbuilding name is ubiquitous around the world, and China is certainly no exeception. The Damen Yichang Shipyard in China started ops in 1999 as a JV between Damen Shipyards Group and Sinotrans CSC, focused on building cargo vessels from the Dutch company’s portfolio. Recently Damen said it intends to broaden the market audience courtesy of an increased portfolio of vessels from the yard…

20 Mar 2015

Ferry Building: A Model of Efficiency

One of the two assembly lines.

With an array of about 20 boats being built in assembly-line-like manner, the Guangdong Bonny Fair Heavy Industry shipyard (formerly known as Guangdong New China Shipyard) is a model of efficiency. Three ferries are fitting out alongside. Designed by the Australian firm Sea Transport Solutions, the 50 by 17.5-meter catamarans are each powered by four 485 kW diesels with two in each hull. A pair of Cummins 6BT 5.9-liter diesels powering a 55 kW generator in each hull meet electric needs.

12 Mar 2014

Short Seas in the Long Run

Built by All American Marine, the 83’ aluminum fast cat designed by Teknicraft Design is hydrofoil-assisted and cruises at 27 knots.

Building for the possibility of shortsea shipping involves many variables. The novel concept of rebirthing short sea shipping into what it once was or could be, may remain just that, a novelty. It would be paramount to overcome the “my way, on my terms” philosophy that so heavily drives traffic away from the seas and inland waterways and onto asphalt freeways that cannibalize natural resources. The plight of road warriors may even further drive coastal commuting straight into Davy’s Locker with the rapidly expanding development of non-marine-use shore side infrastructure.

25 Mar 2013

HYMAR Project Wins Technology Award

Photo: ICOMIA

The EU Hybrid Marine (HyMar) Project—a collaborative research project led by the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) and funded under the EU's Seventh Framework Research Program—won the “Ocean Going and Coastal Division Technology Award” at the Royal Thames Yacht Club’s Mansura Trophy Awards Ceremony on Thursday, March 21, 2013 at the Royal Thames Yacht Club. The primary aim of the HyMar project was to provide reliable and practical information about the effectiveness of marine hybrid propulsion in small craft.

11 Mar 2013

HyMar to Win Award at Mansura Trophy Ceremony

The EU Hybrid Marine (HyMar) Project - a collaborative research project led by the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) funded under the EU's Seventh Framework Research Program - will receive an award at the Royal Thames Yacht Club’s Mansura Trophy Awards Ceremony on March 21, 2013 at the Royal Thames Yacht Club. The primary aim of the HyMar project was to provide reliable and practical information about the effectiveness of marine hybrid propulsion in small craft. Extensive, practical testing of many different design concepts over the last three years has led to the development of a range of innovative technologies.

28 Nov 2011

Boksa & Konacat Develop 85' Fast Cat

Boksa Marine Design, Inc. has teamed up with KonaCat to develop the KonaCat 85' Passenger Catamaran. This fast catamaran design can carry up to 200 passengers and 5 crew members. The particular vessel will be designed to cruise at speeds above 30 knots. The ferry will be constructed with Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) under the KonaCat Fast Build Kit System . Expected custom design and build time is just 6 months. Located in Mobile, Alabama, KonaCat is a builder of custom composite catamarans. Their fast build system ensures timely turn around times on custom designed catamarans.

23 Aug 2010

Incat Crowther Designs Another Fast Cat Ferry

Photo courtesy Incat Crowther

Coastal Fast Ferries in Tanzania, Africa. To be built by Richardson Devine Marine (RDM), Kilimanjaro III will build on the experienced gained in the operation of sisterships Kilimanjaro I and Kilimanjaro II, previously designed by Incat Crowther for Coastal Fast Ferries. Kilimanjaro I and II are significantly larger vessels than any fast ferries that have been deployed on the Zanzibar – Dar Es Salaam route, yet the vessels are nearly always running at full capacity. Needless to say…

24 Mar 2008

South Boats Launches Wind Farm SV

South Boats Special Projects Ltd. commissioned another Offshore Wind Farm Service Vessel for Offshore Wind Power Marine Services Ltd. of Conwy, North Wales for a long term contract with Dong Energy on Gunfleet Sands Offshore Wind Farm. 'Offshore Progress' is a first of class South Catamaran 47/15m Alloy Wind Farm Service Vessel and measures 15.7m length overall, 6.3m beam overall, has a draft of 0.9m and has a lightship displacement (including fluids) of 23.5 tons. This new design…

07 Dec 2001

Fast Cat Visits A&P Southampton

Condor Ferries aluminium fast catamaran Condor Vitesse has just departed A&P Southampton's drydock following the completion of the vessels annual refit. The 350 dwt ferry arrived at the drydock during early November for various drydocking operation works which included cleaning and blasting of the vessels hulls and the application of a new Intersleek paint system, suitable for aluminium hulls. Other work included the removal and replacement of the generators for overhaul, aluminium repairs to the vessel's hull and superstructure, completed in association with the Group's Aluminium Welding division located at A&P Shipcare - Dover. Following a period of 14 days in dock, the vessel sailed for Weymouth on scedule where it resumed normal service.

10 Apr 2002

FastCat Is Shuffled From Navy to Army

HSV-X1, the 96-m Wave Piercing Sealift Catamaran, which is formally known as Joint Venture and currently on charter to the U.S. military from Bollinger/INCAT USA, has entered the next level of its experimental program - its recent transfer from the U.S. Navy to the U.S. Army. The vessel has been involved in a partnership of component commands from the U.S. Navy, Army, Marine Corps, U.S. Special Operations Command and Coast Guard, which are together exploring operational implications and opportunities of new marine technologies that are bringing higher speeds, longer ranges and increased payload capacities to surface vessels. With administrative control of HSV-X1 transferred to the U.S.

08 May 2002

Has the Fast Cat Come to A Halt?

Long hailed for its innovative "fast cat" vessels that were developed by Robert Clifford and Phil Hercus in the 1980's Incat Australia delivered not a new cat last month, but news of an impending bankruptcy. Could this be the end of the fast cats that have dominated the aluminum shipbuilding world for the past 20 years? During the first week of March the Hobart shipyard admitted that it was suffering from financial difficulties, and responded by laying off several hundred employees. In fact, according to Australian news sources, the yard has 1,000 less employees than it did one year ago — despite having won an $80 million contract from the U.S. Military for a 101-m high speed support vessel — transporting American troops throughout the Japanese Islands for the next three years.

21 Dec 2005

Vancouver Considers Bringing Back Fast Cat Ferries

The CEO of the Washington Marine Group is downplaying environmental concerns as he considers the idea of bringing back the Fast Cat ferries to work a Vancouver to Nanaimo run, CKNW News Talk reports. The vessels would be run at a slower speed than previously, and officials say that improvements have been made since they were first introduced and that the Fast Cats wouldn't do any environmental damage that isn't already being done by current service. Washington Marine could have an answer within six weeks on whether to go ahead with this plan. Source: CKNW News Talk

14 Jan 2003

A&P Group Reports Positive Outlook

"Ship repair in the U.K. is looking positive for 2003" say the A&P Group, who has confirmed that all 14 of their dry docks are full with various vessels under repair, refit and conversion. A&P Tyne is currently hosting a number of ships including Stirling Shipmanagement's 2,270dwt offshore supply vessel Putford Enterprise, the 2,067dwt offshore supply vessel Pacific Banner owned by Swire Pacific Offshore, Boyd Line's 1,621grt Arctic Warrior and P&O Ferries' 20,446grt PO Kent. Across the river at A&P Tyne's Hebburn facility is Technip Offshore's 9,158grt diving support vessel CSO Wellservicer, which is due to leave the dry dock on January 12 .

15 Jan 2003

Passenger Vessels:A New England Shipyard Comes of Age

When MR/EN traveled up to the New England coast this past fall as part of a New England shipyard swing, we were expecting to meet the great one himself — Luther H. Blount — who could be informally known as the "father" of New England shipbuilding. Blount began his career so many years ago with the construction of a 77-ft. steel catamaran, was the first of many greater and more technologically innovative vessels that would later earn the designation as Blount crafted. Over the years, Blount oversaw the daily operations of his yard, managing to get his hands dirty on the overall production process. Carefully designing every vessel to a tee with a pencil and sketch pad…

07 Sep 1999

West Coast Ferry Industry at All-Time High

In terms of new deliveries, the West Coast ferry industry will probably not see another period to match the past 18 months for some time. All three of the large government-operated ferry systems in the Pacific Northwest - Washington State, BC Ferries and the Alaska Marine Highway System - received new tonnage, as did a number of smaller operators along the coast. Still under construction are two high-speed vehicle-carrying catamarans for BC Ferries and a single passenger-only high-speed cat for Washington State. In addition, the Nichols Bros. yard at Freeland, Wash. is completing a 40-knot catamaran for operation between southern California and Catalina Island, and a second 35-knot cat for deployment in Alaska by the Brad Phillips organization.

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