Ferries

New ferry for Port Townsend/Keystone

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Ferries Division announced on Dec. 1 that it is awarding a contract to Todd Pacific Shipyards to build one 64-auto ferry. Todd Shipyards submitted a $65.5m bid last month to build one 64-auto ferry. With the contract award, the new ferry is on an 18-month construction timeline. "Our economy and the people who depend upon this ferry route will greatly benefit from this contract. This award is expected to generate nearly 200 jobs," said Gov. Chris Gregoire. "The locally built ferry will provide reliable auto and passenger service on this critical route." The ferry will serve the Port Townsend to Keystone route that has been without a state-owned auto ferry since the Steel Electric Class ferries were taken out of service in November 2007. Since then, various temporary solutions have been in place, including a leased auto ferry, the Steilacoom II, from Pierce County. “It's important for the long-term health of the ferry system that we get on with the business of building new vessels and replacing our aging ferry fleet," said Paula Hammond, Secretary of Transportation. "These vessels fit with our plan that includes identifying a sustainable long-term funding source to support the ferry system into the future."

NEWS:NY/NJ to Receive Federal Funds

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will provide approximately $54.8 million for ferry-related projects in the New York City-Northern New Jersey metropolitan area to support the expansion of interstate ferry services due to the loss of Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) train service between New Jersey and Lower Manhattan on September 11, 2001. This funding for ferry-related projects supplements $100 million that was previously approved by FTA and distributed to the region for

Minoan Flying Dolphins To Order Three Ferries

Minoan Lines subsidiary Minoan Flying Dolphins will reportedly order three more high speed ferries at a cost of $150 million, bringing its total newbuildings to eight. The three new ferries will have a cruising speed of 30 knots and are expected to be delivered in Summer 2001, doubling the company's fleet of high speed ferries. Each of the ferries will be 459 ft. (140 m) long and have a capacity of 1,800 passengers and 250 cars, or 40 trucks and 100 cars

Hamilton Waterjets Chosen for Portuguese Fast Ferries

Lisbon will introduce nine new low-wash fast ferries over the next two years. The new vessels are in response to an increase in ferry commuters and an outdated ferry service currently operating in the city’s waterways. Sociedade Fluvial de Transportes S.A. (Soflusa) has ordered seven 49 meter passenger-only ferries to operate between Sul e Sueste terminal and Barreiro in Lisbon. Each of the Damen Fast Ferry 4912 catamaran vessels will carry up to 600 passengers and four crew at a service

BC Ferries Restructures Its Financials

As part of its financial restructuring package, Canadian-based BC Ferries will sell off its three PacifiCats ferries in order to remove its $1.1 billion debt. A decision was reached to write down the vessels by a total of $240 million. Catamaran Ferries International (CFI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of BC Ferries, will have its assets sold off later this year, proceeding the turning over of the third PacifiCat to its owner (BC Ferries)

Four Ferries Commissioned in Istanbul

In reaction to the increasing commuter traffic on the Bosporus, the municipal ferry enterprise IDO in Istanbul has commissioned four doubleended ferries with two Voith Schneider Propellers each. The four ferries operate on the route between the European ferry terminal Sirkeci and the Asian terminal Harem. With the increased number of ferries on this route, the transport capacity was boosted from 2,500 vehicles to approx. 10,000 vehicles per day

Norway Ferry Strike May Spread

Three of the popular cruise-ferries that ply Norway's coastal route from Bergen to Kirkenes are targeted to be pulled out of service if a ferry strike spreads. The vessels will be affected by a strike that started over the weekend and is gradually spreading around the country. The Norwegian officers' union recently warned that the strike will spread from midnight on May 20. The three vessels in the so-called Hurtigruten, or "Coastal Voyage" line, include the MS Nordkapp

IHI Delivers Large Ferry To Domestic Owner

Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (IHI) has delivered the 18,255 GT car/passenger ferry, Lilac, to its owner Shin-Nihonkai Ferry Co., Ltd. of Japan. The ferry is the first of two ferries for the owner. The keel of the ferry Lilac was laid at the IHI Yokohama Shipyard in June 2001 and launched in September of the same year. Then the ferry was towed to IHI Amtec Co., Ltd., an IHI subsidiary company located in Aioi, Hyogo Perfecture

Construction of Second New WSDOT Ferry

Construction of the state’s second Kwa-di Tabil Class (64-car) ferry officially got underway April 19 at Todd Pacific Shipyards (Todd) in Seattle. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Secretary Paula Hammond and Assistant Secretary for Washington State Ferries (WSF) David Moseley were on hand to help Todd officials commemorate the event. Secretary Hammond struck the first arc weld on the keel signifying the start of construction of the second vessel of the class.

Safe Affordable Ferry Competition

Call for Entries: Safe Affordable Ferry Competition, Open to Students Worldwide.   Registrations are now being accepted for the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA)’s annual student competition for the design of safe affordable ferries to serve developing nations.  Ferries are to be designed according to specifications of a particular developing and emerging market nation, this year: Bangladesh.  The top prize is $5,000 with additional prizes of $3,000 and $1,000