Dejong News

Rhode Island boatbuilder Blount Boats said it has signed a contract with South Ferry Company to construct a new steel passenger/vehicle ferry for Shelter Island, N.Y.The 101’x 40’ double-ended ferry, to be named Southern Cross, will be built to carry a deck load of 260,000 pounds. The vessel will be a sister ship to two other Blount-built ferries designed by DeJong & LeBet for South Ferry, the Sunrise delivered in 2002 and the Southside delivered in 2009.Main propulsion will be provided by two Caterpillar series C-18 Tier III & IMO II Certified each rated at 470 HP at 1,800 RPM.

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, delivered again for New York City-based Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, Inc., this the sixth 165-ft., 599-passenger sightseeing vessels. Designed by DeJong and Lebet, N.A. and builf from steel, the 165 x 34 x 12.8 ft. vessel has a top speed of 14 knots powered by twin Cummins QSK-38M1 diesel engines delivering a total of 2600 hp and connected to ZF W3355 gear boxes, spinning 60-inch, 5-bladed bronze propellers. For dockside maneuvering, the vessel is equipped with a 125 hp Wesmar bow thruster, powered by an electric motor.

Marine News showcases the best of North America’s 2017 workboat deliveries. There is something for everyone. Notwithstanding the lingering offshore energy downturn, there were plenty of bright spots for North American shipyards in 2017. If a hull was delivered in 2017, we took a look at it, with several areas as a focus for inclusion into this edition. For starters, it is always exciting when a domestic yard delivers a vessel – or multiple vessels, for that matter – to foreign buyers. We can compete in a foreign arena; on price, quality and on-time delivery. This year was no different. No less important is the environmental footprint of a vessel, and there was plenty to report on from that angle in the past 12 months. The domestic waterfront is indeed getting greener and cleaner.

Florida based naval architecture and marine engineering firm Boksa Marine Design said it has kept bust over the past few months, with many of its 2017 projects having progressed from design and engineering phases on some and build-to-water on others. Boska provided an update on several of those projects. J&M Metalworks of Green Cove Springs, Fla. has been working on the initial phases of construction of a 140’ passenger vessel. The vessel was designed by DeJong and Lebet, Naval Architects of Jacksonville, Fla..

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, said it has delivered Circle Line Bronx, the first of three new sightseeing vessels for Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, Inc., in New York City. “The new vessels will offer guests an enhanced sightseeing experience on every level,” according to Costas Markou, president and chief operating officer of New York Cruise Lines. Gladding-Hearn previously delivery three sister ships to Circle Line in 2009. Like the earlier vessels, the new 600-passenger all-steel vessel Circle Line Bronx…

Custom Steel Boats, Inc. of Merritt, N.C., in collaboration with Ted & Todd’s Marine of Beaufort, N.C., announced a new construction project. Custom Steel Boats is building a 70-foot steel hull lobster boat, Two Dukes, for Captain Eric, Inc of Seaville, N.J. The vessel will be used in the waters off of New Jersey as well as North Carolina to catch lobster. The vessel was designed by DeJong and Lebet in Jacksonville, Fla. to meet the needs of the customer. After design approval by the owner the vessel was computer lofted by Boksa Marine Design located in Lithia, Fla.

New York’s Lake George Steamboat Company recently commissioned API Services to laser scan the hull the oldest boat in its fleet, the 107-year-old Mohican. The original Mohican, in service from 1894 to 1907, was a 93-foot wooden hull vessel. The ship was replaced in 1907 by a steel-hulled vessel christened the Mohican II in the summer of 1908, thus beginning the first of her 107 years of continuous service on Lake George. This naming convention also began the custom of reusing names of former lake boats, which survived until the construction of the Lac du Saint Sacrement in 1989.

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, has begun construction of the first of three new sightseeing vessels for Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, Inc., in New York City. A keel-laying ceremony at the Somerset-Mass., shipyard in January, was held in commemoration of the Circle Line’s 70th anniversary year. The new boat order follows the shipyard’s delivery of three sister- ships for the company in 2009. Delivery of the first new vessel is scheduled for 2016. According to Costas Markou…

WESMAR (Western Marine Electronics) announced that its heavy duty Bow Thrusters have been selected for three new 165-foot, 600-passenger excursion and sightseeing ferries operated by Circle Line Cruises, the New York City sightseeing company. Circle Line Cruises made the announcement in January as part of its 70th Anniversary celebration. They currently operate a dozen boats in New York Harbor and move more people in the city than anyone else, including thousands of school children and visitors from all around the world.

IMTRA, a manufacturer and importer of quality marine products, announced today its Side-Power SH1000 thruster system has been installed on the fourth hull of the 114-foot U.S. Navy Range Training Support Craft (RTSC-110). Selected to replace another supplier used on the previous three builds, IMTRA worked with Florida-based naval architecture firm DeJong & Lebet and San Diego builder Marine Group Boat Works, LLC to determine ideal size requirements for a system optimized for the RTSC-110.

DeJong & Lebet, Inc. announced that Norman N. DeJong passed away on November 7, 2013. Norman was 75 years old at the time of his passing. Norman was one of the founding partners of DeJong & Lebet, Inc., Naval Architects, in 1983 in Jacksonville, Florida. He was born in Blokker, Noord Holland, the Netherlands, immigrating to the US after earning a BS in Naval Architecture at HTS Haarlem in 1959. He worked at Phillip F. Spaulding in Seattle, and NASSCO in San Diego before moving to Jacksonville, FL to work at Gibbs / Aerojet General in 1963.

Geo Shipyard Inc, New Iberia, La, delivered the R/V Apalachee, a 64x21x9’, aluminum catamaran for Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, St Teresa, Florida. Designed by Fyffe Yachts with NC lofting by Eli Ring, VP of Advance Fabricating, both of Kemah, Texas, the 48 passenger T-boat will support a verity of research missions in the Gulf of Mexico. DeJong and Lebet, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida provided construction oversight and plan review. Power for the new boat is supplied by a pair of John Deere 6135 SFM engines rated at 500 hp at 1…

Custom Steel Boats, Inc. of Merritt, N.C. announced the signing of a contract with the Chatham Area Transit Authority located in Savannah, Gia. The contract is for the construction of a 67-ft S-Class 150 passenger ferry. The project is scheduled for completion in September 2011 and will be delivered to Savannah for use in transporting passengers to and from the International Trade and Convention Center located on Hutchinson Island. The vessel was designed by DeJong and Lebet in Jacksonville, Fla. to meet the needs of the Chatham Area Transit Authority. After design approval by the United States Coast Guard the vessel was computer lofted by Boksa Marine Design located in Lithia, Flda. The first load of steel for the vessel was delivered from Metals USA in Mobile, Ala. on October 5, 2010.

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, has completed construction of the last of three new sightseeing vessels for Circle Line Sightseeing Yachts, Inc., in New York City. A staple of harbor cruises on the lower Hudson and East Rivers, Circle Line Sightseeing’s three new vessels are the first in more than 60 years, according to Costas Markou, director of marine operations. The company’s fleet of eight steel, 165-foot sightseeing boats consists of converted LCIs (Landing Craft Infantries) and Coast Guard cutters, built between 1930 and 1943.

New York’s Circle Line Sightseeing has the first of three new steel mono-hulled sightseeing boats under construction at Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding of Somerset, Massachusetts. The first of the 165 x 36-ft. vessels will be delivered in April 2008 with the second to follow in August and the final boat in March 2009. A pair of Cummins KTA38M1 main engines developing 1100 hp at 1800 RPM will power the first vessel. The engines will be linked to ZF W3350 gears with 4.497:1 ratios.

The passenger vessel, Jungle Princess, was recently completed for Great American Riverboat Cruises, Myrtle Beach, S.C. The vessel features a tropical jungle theme for both interior and exterior, including real and painted palm trees, and exterior sides painted with tropical birds, monkeys, and the jungle theme. Design and Engineering services were provided by DeJong & Lebet, Inc. Naval Architects, Jacksonville, Fla. The vessel was partially completed at Freeport Shipbuilding, with the deckhouse and other items completed by the owner in Myrtle Beach. The Jungle Princess measures 64 x 24ft., and is U.S. Coast Guard certificated under Subchapter T. She features two enclosed passenger decks, with a Third Level open passenger deck, as well as the pilothouse.

As you read this, there are two beautiful new Skipperliner luxury charter vessels "wintering" in New Orleans and will be available for tours during the annual PVA Maritrends meeting in early February. After that they will complete their delivery run down the Mississippi River, into the Gulf of Mexico through the Panama Canal and up the West Coast of the United States to southern California. Their trip began 1500 miles upriver at Skipperliner's factory in Lacrosse, Wisc. in December. Pacific Avalon Yacht Charters of Newport Beach, Calif. owns the two vessels and will put both of them into service this spring. The 128-ft. Ambassador will work out of the homeport of Newport Beach, while the 148-ft. Majestic will dock in San Diego, Calif.

About a year ago Dan Yates, president of American Waterways, Inc., (dba Portland Spirit) of Portland, Oregon had a pleasant, yet vexing problem. His fleet of three dinner cruise vessels was doing good business, but he needed a vessel that could seat 100-140 passengers for a meal function. His fleet included the Crystal Dolphin that held 50 people for dinner, the Willamette Star with a 70 person seated capacity and the 350 passenger (540 for cocktails) Portland Spirit. "We were turning away business that was ideal for a 100-150 passenger vessel. Our Crystal Dolphin was too small and the Portland Spirit too large," Yates reported. "To capture this business our decision came down to buying a new vessel that would seat 100 plus for dinner or rebuilding and lengthening the Willamette Star…

The passenger vessel market is a classic mature marine market. Segments of it are doing well, while other parts have literally died. For example, the overnight segment of the market saw one substantial vessel delivered in 2003 with none on the horizon for 2004. The Empress of the North, a 360-ft. sternwheeler was put into service in September working the West Coast-Alaska route. Now that ice is a problem in Alaska, the vessel is working the Columbia River system in the Northwest U.S. The vessel was the largest vessel ever built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Freeland, Wash. and is owned by American West Steamboat Company, Portland, Ore. Developing overnight service is the most difficult part of the passenger vessel industry to get established.

The various segments of the passenger vessel industry have undergone significant transformation in the last 12 months. It looks stronger as we head into the last six months of the year with ferries and charter yachts leading the way. Frankly, a year ago the passenger vessel industry was in some disarray faced with developing a security plan to meet the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 passed in Congress in wake of terrorism threats. Developing such a comprehensive plan by the end of 2003 proved to be an almost impossible task for an industry made up of mostly small boat owners. Coming to the rescue was the industry's trade association the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA). They developed the PVA Industry Standard for Security of Passenger Vessels and Small Passenger Vessels.

A new commercial charter yacht was delivered in July 2004 to SunQuest Yacht Charters, Shalimar, Fla. serving the Destin-Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. beach resort area with scheduled dinner cruises and special event charters. The 125 by 26-ft. luxury yacht was built by Freeport Shipbuilding Group, Freeport, Fla. The shipyard and SunQuest are both headed by Jim Murray, whose shipyard has been active in Florida for 30 years. Murray, his wife Gail, son James and daughter Colette are managing the vessel. Named Solaris, the charter yacht is a Subchapter T vessel with a capacity for 149 passengers and a crew of 25. DeJong & Lebet, naval architects of Jacksonville, Fla supplied structural, weight and stability drawings and calculations for Solaris.

Harrah’s recently opened a new barge mounted casino at their Joilet, Illinois property on the Des Plaines River near Chicago. The building on a barge replaces two USCG certified vessels that have been at the facility since 1993, the M/V Northern Star, a cruise-ship type vessel, and M/C Southern Star, a sternwheeler. The barges for the new facility were designed by DeJong & Lebet, Inc. Naval Architects, Jacksonville, Florida. DeJong & Lebet, Inc. also designed the two casino vessels that were replaced by the barge-mounted casino. The casino is mounted on two barges, which were built at Halter Marine in Port Bienville, Miss. Each barge measures approximately 200 x 100 x 16 ft. The barges are constructed of steel, except for the main deck, which is a 10.5 in. thick concrete slab.

There are several quick conclusions you can draw about passenger boat construction in the new millennium. First it is a smaller market than 10 years ago with far fewer boats being built today than a decade ago. Secondly almost all of these vessels are built on the east or west coast. There are virtually no passenger boats being built in the south. Third, the number one vessel type being built is the ferryboat and more specifically the all-passenger ferry that shuttles people at 25 knots or better. In the years between 1987 and 1993 shipyards all over the country were building 600-passenger excursion-dinner boats in great numbers as sightseeing and dining vessels on America’s great rivers, lakes and bays became increasingly popular.