Hornblower Marine Services News

HMS Global Maritime is an internationally respected, full-service marine management company, with the resources and experience to deliver tailored, cutting edge solutions, management, and support to clients of all sizes through four divisions - anywhere in the world. HMSGM was founded in 1995 in San Francisco, California as Hornblower Marine Services. In 1998, it relocated to the Louisville, Kentucky area, basing its headquarters in New Albany, Indiana, to be more centrally located and closer to the riverboat casino market, a fundamental operation service in the early stages of the company.

Hornblower Marine Services (HMS) announced that the National Infrastructure Development Company Limited (NIDCO), a Trinidad and Tobago state owned enterprise, has awarded HMS the contract for the Trinidad passenger fast ferry fleet in the southern Caribbean. “The Water Taxi Project of the National Infrastructure Development Company is intended to reduce traffic on the heavily traveled North-South corridor between Trinidad's two largest cities,” said Hornblower Vice President of Operations Gary Seabrook. “The service is commuter-oriented and will begin operations with four high-speed passenger vessels with four additional vessels added over the next two years as other routes are included to the service. Hornblower Marine Services, Trinidad-Ltd.

Hornblower Marine Services (HMS) was named the sixteenth fastest growing company in Business First of Louisville’s Greater Louisville’s Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies publication. Companies are picked based on growth determined by their previous three-year operating sales history. Each company must average at least $1m in annual revenue for their three most recent fiscal years with the top 50 companies displaying the biggest percentage of revenue growth over the last two years making the list. “Our company’s growth was fueled by the shift in transportation from cars and airplanes to ferries,” said John Waggoner, Chief Executive Officer of Hornblower Marine Services.

Hornblower Marine Services (HMS) has named Stephen P.J. Stanionis as General Manager of the Oklahoma River Cruises.  This new ferry service operated by HMS, in partnership with the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority, was created to boost riverfront economic development as well as tourism.In November 2007, Hornblower Marine Services landed a 3-year contract to operate Oklahoma River Cruises, which cover a 7-mile stretch along the linking the hotel and restaurant-rich Meridian corridor and downtown . Stanionis has more than 28 years of professional boat handling and marine management experience, including as owner and President of S.T.A.M. Enterprises Inc. based in .

Hornblower Marine Services (HMS) is pleased to announce Captain John M. Keever is joining the company as Director of Marine Operations for the Hawaii Superferry project. As Director of Marine Operations for Hawaii Superferry, Captain Keever will manage the Alakai, the world’s most celebrated high-speed vessel, providing long-awaited passenger ferry service between , O’ahu and . This project is at the cutting edge of the high-speed passenger vessel industry, requiring top notch leadership, experience and innovation. Keever currently serves as Vice President, Marine Programs and Student Development of the , now part of The California State University. He is also a tenured professor of maritime management and serves as the campus’ federal liaison to the U.S.

Hornblower Marine Services (HMS) is pleased to announce that William Bill Annand, its Director of Marine Operations for Hawaii Superferry, has been appointed Chairman of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) High-Speed Subcommittee. Members of the PVA’s High-Speed Subcommittee include operators, designers, builders, equipment suppliers and regulators of high-speed craft. As Director of Marine Operations for Hawaii Superferry, Annand presides over the Alakai, the world’s most celebrated high-speed vessel, providing long-awaited passenger ferry service between Honolulu, O’ahu and Maui. Because the vessel has been controversial, Annand is intimately familiar with hot-button issues of concern to the High-Speed side of the passenger vessel industry and its association.

Members of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) have elected Richard “Dick” Purinton as 2001 president. Also elected were Fredrick “Fred” Hall as vice president and Gary Frommelt as secretary-treasurer. Prior to becoming president, Purinton served as PVA vice president and secretary-treasurer. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Journalism. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he became president of the Great Lakes Ferry Boat Association. He has been with Washington Island Ferry Line since 1979, the year it joined PVA. Hall was vice president and general manager of Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company, which operates three, automobile and passenger ferry across the Long Island Sound to Bridgeport, Conn.

The new Austal Auto Express 58 catamaran “Lake Express” entered service on June 1. Operating between Milwaukee, Wis., and Muskegon, Mich., “Lake Express” provides a crossing time of 2.5 hours slicing in half the time it would take to drive around the southern tip of the lake, through a congested Chicago. Another Austal vessel, the Australian-built “Spirit of Ontario I”, is scheduled to begin service across Lake Ontario between Toronto and Rochester, New York, on June 18. The establishment of the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile…

Fred Hall was elected PVA 2002 President on Tuesday, February 19 during the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2002 in Biloxi, Miss. Hall is Vice President and General Manager of the Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Steamboat Company, Port Jefferson, N.Y., a provider of ferry service across the Long Island Sound. This ferry service has been in business since 1883 and now operates three 100-vehicle/1000-passenger vessels. Prior to being elected PVA President, Hall has served as PVA Vice-President, PVA Secretary-Treasurer and co-chairman of the PVA Legislative Committee. He was also a founding member and a past chairman of the PVA Ferry Council.

Hornblower Marine Services has elected Marc C. Cruder as director of Vessel Construction, Compliance and Safety. Cruder recently retired from the U.S. Coast Guard after 21 years of service of field experience, particularly in Marine Inspection. It was in his capacity as a traveling inspector that he was first involved with Hornblower Marine Services during the construction of Sassacus and Tatobam, the first U.S. Flag high-speed ferries built to the IMO High Speed Craft Code. In addition to his experience with the IMO High Speed Craft Code, Cruder was involved in the selection and participation of the Coast Guard's Merchant Marine Industry Training Program where he did a one-year internship with then ARCO Marine Inc., a major west coast shipping company.

Hornblower Marine Services announced a new option for Honolulu commuters- “TheBoat.” Beginning September 17, Hornblower Marine Services (HMS) will operate passenger-only ferry service between Oahu’s leeward side to downtown Honolulu. The commuter ferry is an extension of Honolulu’s transit service, TheBus. HMS’s subsidiary, HMS-Pac Nav, Inc. of Bainbridge Island, Washington, has undertaken this demonstration project in cooperation with The Department of Transportation Services (DTS) for the City and County of Honolulu. The new ferry service will operate in conjunction with the Oahu Transit Services group (TheBus) who will provide dedicated shuttle service to and from the ferry terminals.

Hornblower Marine Services announced the appointment of Bill Annand as Director of Marine Operations for Hawaii Superferry. Hornblower Marine Services, based in New Albany, Ind., is contracted to operate the long-awaited passenger ferry between Honolulu and the islands of Maui and Kauai. Passenger service is scheduled to begin in August 2007. Annand will initially manage approximately 100 crew members, including unlimited officers, and non-rated union and non0union shipboard staff. He is responsible for daily marine operations including crew management, regulatory compliance, training, budgeting, repairs and maintenance as well as record keeping. Currently Hawaii Superferry is operating a single vessel.

Hornblower Marine Services (HMS) has secured a Marine Master Planning Contract with Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) for its Cape May-Lewes Ferry operation. Cape May-Lewes Ferry, in service since 1964, operates five 1,000 passenger/100 car ferries on a 17-mile route between Cape May, New Jersey and Lewes, Delaware. The year round operation carries some 1 million passengers and 350 thousand cars per year. HMS under the DRBA contract will provide the organization with marine master planning services resulting in a phased and comprehensive strategy to maintain, improve, and optimize operations and assets associated with their Cape May-Lewes Ferry operation.

The Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) this week officially submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard a comprehensive security standard for domestic passenger vessels and ferries. Entitled, “ the PVA Industry Standards for Security of Passenger Vessels and Small Passenger Vessels,” the document is the product of a PVA security task force composed of experts representing every type of passenger vessel operation nationwide. The task force developed standards specific to the passenger vessel industry in order to provide effective security measures, many of which are already in place. Using this document, a domestic passenger vessel operator will be able to assess vessel and shore side facility security needs and then develop and implement an effective security plan to protect passengers…

Key stakeholders involved in the project to build a 192-ft. high-speed ferry for Milwaukee-based Lake Express LLC attended a ceremony on July 10 to celebrate the start of the vessel's construction at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, AL. Chris Pemberton, Austal USA's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, welcomed the guests and explained that construction of the aluminum catamaran was actually already well underway, as was evident in the main construction hall of Austal USA's shipbuilding facilities. "MARAD's recent confirmation of loan guarantees under the Title XI program was vital to this project moving forward, and it is a great pleasure to be involved in realizing Ken's 10-year-old dream of a high speed link across Lake Michigan," Pemberton said.

Key stakeholders involved in the landmark project to build a 192-ft. high-speed ferry for Milwaukee-based Lake Express LLC attended a ceremony on July 10 to celebrate the start of the vessel’s construction at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, AL. Chris Pemberton, Austal USA’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, welcomed the guests and explained that construction of the aluminum catamaran was actually already well underway, as was evident in the main construction hall of Austal USA’s modern shipbuilding facilities. Pemberton acknowledged the Maritime Administration’s support for the project and lauded the vision of the Director of the Port of Milwaukee, Ken Szallai.

Gary Frommelt, Hornblower Marine Services, Elizabeth, Ind., was elected 2003 PVA President on February 18 during the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2003 held in Long Beach, CA. Other officers elected were PVA Vice President, David B. Clark, Golden Gate Ferry , Larkspur, CA, and PVA Secretary-Treasurer, Cornel Martin, Delta Queen Steamboat Company, New Orleans, LA. Frommelt serves as project manager for Hornblower Marine Services as director of marine operations for Caesars Indiana-home to the largest riverboat casino in the world. Frommelt was most recently PVA Vice President, has served on the PVA Board of Directors since 1996, and has been a long-term member of the Safety Committee.

Hornblower Marine Services will be responsible for the complete start-up and operating infrastructure, in addition to the daily operations of Bahamas Fast Ferry Service Limited. This new ferry service will provide high-speed transportation between Nassau, Harbor Island, Eleuthera and other destinations. The 114 ft. (35 m) Solent Class, high-speed catamaran, designed by FBM Marine and built by Pequot River Shipworks, will be used to transport visitors, as well as Bahamian residents (177 total) at speeds of 35-40 knots. Hornblower has entered into yet another venture, this time with Virginia-based MetroMarine Holdings for a passenger ferry service between downtown Hampton and downtown Norfolk.

Operating between Nassau and Harbor Island and Eleuthera in the Bahamas, M/V Bo Hengy carries passengers daily for a ferry service providing an innovative form of transportation, inter-island in the Bahamas. Until now, the only form of transportation on this route was via air, mailboat or private vessel. Along the designated route for Bo Hengy is a treacherous three-mile section located at the northern tip of Eleuthera. Known as the Devil's Backbone, this is the ony way around the north end- the primary destination of Bo Hengy. Consequently, a comprehensive risk assessment was carried out to evaluate the risks associated with operating…

Operating between Nassau and Harbor Island and Eleuthera in the Bahamas, M/V Bo Hengy carries passengers daily for this ferry service that provides an innovative form of transportation, inter-island in the Bahamas. Until now, the only form of transportation on this route was via air, mailboat or private vessel. Along the designated route for Bo Hengy is a treacherous three-mile section located at the northern tip of Eleuthera. Known as the Devil's Backbone, this is the sole way around the north end - the primary destination of Bo Hengy. As a result, a comprehensive risk assessment was carried out to evaluate the risks associated with operating the vessel on the inter-island route.

Hornblower Marine Services and Virginia-based, MetroMarine Holdings have started a new passenger ferry service between Downtown Hampton and Downtown Norfolk. HarborLink - as the service is known - will be operated by Hornblower Marine Services. This service is privately financed by the group and supplemented by CMAQ federal funds. The contract for this new ferry service was awarded to the joint venture partnership in 1998 by the City of Hampton and Norfolk, following an RFP process. CMAQ federal funds were applied for by the City of Hampton and granted in earlier this year. A further two years of federal funding has also been granted. This new ferry service will be the beginning of a more regional service envisioned for this new partnership in the Hampton Roads area.

Hornblower Marines Services, a shareholder in Bahamas Fast Ferries Service Limited, has established a ferry to run between Nassau and Harbor Island for high-speed visitor/resident transportation. The 115 ft. Solent class high speed catamaran was designed by FBM Marine Ltd and built by Pequot River Shipworks, a subsidiary of Connecticut-based Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. With Hornblower overseeing the day-to-day operations and infrastructure of this service, the 35 knot vessel will be lauched this June and will hold 177 passengers with a travel time of one hour and 40 minutes between each port.

Hornblower Marine Services will be responsible for the complete start-up and operating infrastructure, in addition to the daily operations of Bahamas Fast Ferry Service Limited. This new ferry service will provide high-speed transportation between Nassau, Harbor Island, Eleuthera and other destinations. The 114 ft. (35 m) Solent Class, high-speed catamaran, designed by FBM Marine and built by Pequot River Shipworks, will be used to transport visitors, as well as Bahamian residents (177 total) at speeds of 35-40 knots. Hornblower has entered into yet another venture, this time with Virginia-based MetroMarine Holdings for a passenger ferry service between downtown Hampton and downtown Norfolk.