Ferry

$42M in Grants for Ferry Docks & Facilities

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced more than $42m in grants to improve ferry service and build new docks and facilities in 15 states and Puerto Rico.  Congress authorized the Federal Highway Administration’s Ferry Boat Program was created to fund ferry boat projects that provide critical access to areas that lack other means of transportation where high passenger demand already exists.  Program funds can be used for capital improvements to existing ferry operations which could increase the number of riders, relieve congestion or address environmental or significant operational concerns.  The projects include funding for the rehabilitation of the Hoboken ferry terminal in the New Jersey/New York City metropolitan area and the construction of a new ferry terminal in the Oyster Point Marina in south San Francisco.  Both projects have the potential to help reduce congestion on other highways and boost the number of riders.  Washington State also received several grants to improve service in the Seattle area. FHWA Ferry Boat Discretionary Grants: State     Project    Grant Amount New Jersey    Hoboken Terminal Ferry Slip Rehabilitation    $3,000,000 Puerto Rico     Fajardo – Vieques – Culebra public ferry    $3,000,000 California     South San Francisco Ferry Service    $3,000,000

Second WSF 144-car Ferry in Progress

Construction will begin in December on a second 144-car ferry. The Ferries Division of the Washington State Department of Transportation and shipbuilder Vigor Industrial signed papers this morning to make the second new vessel a reality for customers of the state ferry system.   “This has been a tremendous event for Washington state and our ferry system,” said David Moseley, assistant transportation secretary, Ferries Division

Study: Puget Sound Ferries Terror Target

The Puget Sound ferry system is believed to be the most likely target of maritime terrorism in the country, The Herald reported. The FBI's Threat Monitoring Unit examined thousands of incidents reported around boats, ports and other maritime facilities between September 2004 and September 2005, according to a Justice Department report released in March. The greatest concentration of alarming incidents happened on ferries in the Seattle area, followed by oil tankers off of the Gulf Coast

Low Sales Activity of Significant Ferries in 2000

Within the ferry industry, 50 secondhand vessels were sold in 2000, representing a total value of $317 million. The information, provided in a market report by ShipPax Information in its latest publication GUIDE 01, reveals that most of the activity took place within the South East Asian market, which bought more than half the numbers, or 26 of the ferries. Fourteen of them came from Japan, 6 from Europe and another 6 were bought within the region

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

Fincantieri To Build Ferry For SNCM

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has signed a contract with France's SNCM to build a 44,500 gt ferry to be used mainly on the Marseilles to North Africa routes. The new vessel will be 574 ft. (175 m) long and able to transport 2,200 passengers in 470 cabins and 320 pullman seats. The ferry will also accommodate 700 cars, a Fincantieri spokesperson said. No financial details were given, but industry sources said the contract was worth around $126 million.

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

Construction Begins on Next-Generation Ferry

The first arc welds on the keel of Washington’s new 144-car ferry will be made later this month by the leaders of the state Legislature transportation committees, Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen of Camano Island and Rep. Judy Clibborn of Mercer Island.   The two legislators will join Washington State Ferries officials and ship workers at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 29, to commemorate the moment when the vessel’s keel is laid in place at Vigor Industrial’s Harbor Island

BC Ferries Commissions Second PacifiCat

BC Ferries' second fast ferry, PacifiCat Discovery, was officially commissioned at a ceremony attended by Gordon Wilson, minister responsible for BC Ferries; Michael Francis, chair of BC Ferries' board of directors; and Bob Lingwood, president and CEO. The second PacifiCat delivers considerable cost savings and construction efficiencies compared with the first PacifiCat. Discovery was completed eight months faster and cost $10 million less than the first vessel.

Linking Fast Ferries into the Public Transport Network

Located along the mid coast of the Northeast U.S., New London, Conn. has long been a center for ferry transportation dating back to the early days of passenger travel via sailing schooner, steamship and rail ferries. New London's naturally sheltered, deep water harbor allowed it to develop into a major marine travel hub and established it as a major stopping point between the metropolitan areas of New York City and Boston.