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Mark Ii News

07 Dec 2023

The Next WSF Vessels Could Be Built Outside of Washington State

© Chris Fabregas / Adobe Stock

The next newbuilds for Washington State Ferries (WSF) could be built by a shipyard outside of Washington as the state seeks to accelerate its ferry electrification program.The Washington State Department of Transportation's (WSDOT) WSF earlier this week issued a request for information to the shipbuilding industry across the country as part of its effort to contract for five new hybrid-electric Olympic-class ferries. Responses are due in January and will provide critical information for the Invitation for Bid in spring 2024…

16 Aug 2023

Washington State Ferries Awards Vigor Contract to Convert Its Largest Vessels to Hybrid-electric Power

© David Johnson / Adobe Stock

Washington State Ferries has tapped local shipyard Vigor to convert up to three of its Jumbo Mark II class ferries to low-emission hybrid-electric power.Vigor's $150 million winning bid for the contract came in about $16 million under the second place bid from another Washington shipyard, but was still approximately $30 million above the state’s $120 million estimate for the project. Vigor has been awarded approximately $100 million for the conversion of two vessels, with a fixed-price option to convert the third vessel in 2025.WSF…

30 Mar 2023

WSF Invites Bids to Convert Its Largest Ferries to Hybrid-electric Propulsion

Wenatchee (Photo: Washington State Ferries)

Washington State Ferries (WSF) this week launched an invitation for bid to convert its three largest vessels to hybrid-electric propulsion.The conversion will remove two diesel generator sets from each of WSF's Jumbo Mark II ferries and replace them with batteries and associated support systems. The conversion will incorporate energy storage technology and rapid charging of the batteries from each applicable ferry terminal.Siemens Energy will supply the propulsion control systems…

21 May 2021

The Shipping Industry Embraces Battery Power

Photo courtesy Flagships project

The past decade has seen tight restrictions on emissions from vessels, notably with a 2015 move to a .10% sulfur maximum in Emission Control Areas (ECA) in North America and in northern Europe. As the International Maritime Organization (IMO) now shapes shipping’s decarbonization future, shipowners are looking at transitions away from fossil fuels. Among the myriad of alternatives are lithium ion batteries and some early forays into hydrogen fuel cells.To date, large batteries are used on short runs…

17 Nov 2020

Washington State Ferries' Largest Vessel Enters Drydock

(Photo: Everett Ship Repair)

Washington State Ferries' (WSF) Jumbo Mark II class ferry Wenatchee, the largest in the WSF fleet, entered drydock at Everett Ship Repair, LLC (ESR) on November 10.The vessel is 460’ x 90’ with a docking displacement of 4675 LT. ESR’s drydock, the Faithful Servant has underwent improvements to expand its capabilities, and can now service vessels up to 460’ x 100’ with drafts up to 32’, including all of WSF fleet.The docking evolution started with moving the Faithful Servant drydock…

25 Oct 2019

EBDG to Design WSF Hybrid-electric Ferry

Photo: Elliott Bay Design Group

Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) was recently selected by Vigor Fab as the engineering firm that will provide functional design for the new hybrid-electric Olympic Class ferries for Washington State Ferries (WSF). EBDG is responsible for redesigning the vessels to accommodate the major change in propulsion type without disrupting structural components. The ferries will operate on all-battery power during crossings or can revert to a hybrid, diesel-electric propulsion if required.

23 Oct 2019

Washington Gets Funds for Green Ferries

Washington State Ferries will begin the process of converting three Jumbo Mark II vessels from diesel to hybrid-electric power.The government agency that operates automobile and passenger ferry service in the U.S. state of Washington as part of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced Tuesday the state will receive $35 million from the federal Volkswagen settlement to retrofit the Tacoma, Wenatchee and Puyallup.The ferry system is the largest consumer of diesel fuel in the state with over 18 million gallons of diesel burned each year, and the three Jumbo Mark II ferries account for 26 percent of total fuel consumption. This step brings the state ferry system closer to meeting the goals outlined in Gov.

30 Aug 2019

MN100: Elliott Bay Design Group

Named one of this year's MarineNews' prestigious MN100 firms, Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) in 2019 expanded to the East Coast by opening an office in New York and teamed with AMD Marine Consulting Designs to be their exclusive North American vessel design representative. EBDG delivers designs that are better to build and better to operate.The Company:EBDG is a full-service, employee-owned company with offices in Seattle, New Orleans, Ketchikan and New York. The firm provides naval architecture…

06 Nov 2018

FLNG Hilli Episeyo Operates in Full Capacity

Golar LNG Limited confirmed that FLNG Hilli Episeyo continues to operate with 100 percent commercial availability.Currently in the process of exporting its 10th LNG cargo, the vessel's proof of concept continues to add momentum to both existing and new opportunities under discussion. Discussions also continue with field operator Perenco as to the timing of utilization of Hilli Episeyo's excess capacity.Golar and affiliates of Keppel Shipyard Limited and Black and Veatch closed the sale of 50 percent of the common units in Golar Hilli LLC to the Partnership on July 12, . Although Golar continues to consolidate Golar Hilli LLC, after this transaction…

06 Sep 2018

Washington State Ferries Looks to Go Greener

Jumbo Mark II class ferry Wenatchee (Photo: Jim Culp / WSDOT)

Washington State Ferries has begun a project to transition the largest vessels in its fleet to cleaner hybrid-electric power.The three ferries in the operator's Jumbo Mark II class, the Tacoma, Wenatchee and Puyallup, were built from 1997 to 1999 at Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle. Each vessel can carry up to 2,499 passengers and 202 vehicles, making them the largest in the Washington State fleet.The 460 footers are also the fleet's biggest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions.

02 Apr 2018

Washington State: Hybrid Electric Ferries to be Considered

Washington Governor Jay Inslee has signed into law An Act Relating to Transportation Funding and Appropriations (SB 6106).   Among other things, the bill includes $600,000 for development of a request for proposal to convert the three Washington State Ferry vessels in the Jumbo Mark II class to hybrid electric propulsion and make associated necessary 10 modifications to the Seattle, Bainbridge, Edmonds and Kingston 11 terminals. See the legislation here. The Jumbo Mark II class includes three 460-foot double-ended ferries – Puyallup, Tacoma and Wenatchee – each built in the late 1990s. The largest ferries in the Washington State fleet, each vessel can transport up to 2,499 passengers and 202 vehicles. (Source: with thanks to Dennis Bryant)

03 Oct 2017

GE Powers Maersk’s Mega Ships

(Photo: Maersk)

GE’s Marine Solutions recently delivered its power take off/power take in (PTO/PTI) solution along with its Power Management System digital software solution onboard four of the largest container vessels owned by Maersk Line—Madrid Maersk, Munich Maersk, Moscow Maersk and Milan Maersk. Madrid Maersk is the first container vessel delivered from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME)—back in April—and Munich Maersk and Moscow Maersk have both completed successful sea trials. Milan Maersk will soon be in service.

21 Jun 2017

Golar, Delfin to Jointly Develop US FLNG Project

A joint development agreement between Delfin Midstream and Golar LNG Limited will see the two jointly develop the Delfin LNG project off the coast of Cameron Parish, La. The joint development agreement will facilitate the financing, marketing, construction, development and operation of Delfin LNG, the first and only permitted floating LNG (FLNG) export project in the U.S. Delfin LNG is a brownfield Deepwater Port requiring minimal additional infrastructure investment to support up to four FLNG vessels producing up to 13 million metric tons of LNG per annum. Delfin purchased the UTOS pipeline, the largest natural gas pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico, in 2014 and submitted its Deepwater Port license application in 2015.

12 Jun 2017

World’s Biggest Containership Eases into Felixstowe

The Madrid Maersk at Felixstowe's Berth 8 photographed by Captain Prithvi Singh, SCS pilot at Harwich Haven Authority, who piloted the Madrid Maersk out of Felixstowe.

The Madrid Maersk, the latest in a long line of record-breaking containerships, arrived on June 6, 2017 at the Port of Felixstowe’s newest quay, its first port of call in Northern Europe on its maiden voyage. As the world’s current biggest containership (weighing in at 214,286 metric tons, and a massive 399 meters long, with a beam of 58.6m), the Madrid Maersk is expected to set a record for carrying the maximum number of standard-sized containers (TEU) on its return leg to Asia.

26 Feb 2016

Royal IHC Delivers another Dutch Dredger

On February 18, 2016, Royal IHC delivered the trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Mahury to Baggerbedrijf de Boer – Dutch Dredging. The twin-screw TSHD was built at IHC’s partner shipyard, MTG Dolphin, in Varna, Bulgaria. The Mahury was launched on August 14 and named on October 29, 2015 in Varna. It is the fourth TSHD of Baggerbedrijf de Boer – Dutch Dredging built by IHC, following the Albatros, Amazone and Lesse. Length                                     approx. within 15 miles from shore      approx. within 8 miles from shore        approx. level                                          approx. Total installed power               approx. Trial speed                             approx.

01 Feb 2016

Rough Waters for Washington State Ferries

The process of installing the superstructure built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders onto the hull of the M/V Tokitae at Vigor’s yard, March 2013.

Improved funding and management changes have the nation’s largest ferry system on a course to better times. Challenges remain, but WSF tackles each one in turn. Unlike the citizens of British Columbia, which pays a German shipyard to build its ferries, Washington state residents resolutely invest at home. By law, ferries are built locally and the results, overall, seem win-win. The state’s Office of Financial Management estimates that every $75 million in ferry construction generates about $90 million for the state’s economy.

30 Oct 2015

Royal IHC Names Dredger Mahury

Shipbuilder Royal IHC has named the Mahury, a 1,840m3 capacity twin-screw trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) on October 29, 2015 at its partner MTG Dolphin’s shipyard in Varna, Bulgaria. The new TSHD is Baggerbedrijf de Boer – Dutch Dredging’s fourth IHC-built vessel. The ceremony was performed by Mrs. Gressier, who was invited to perform the naming of the ship due to the close (working) relationship between Dutch Dredging and the Gressier family. Dutch Dredging named the vessel after its tradition of reusing the names of sold or scrapped ships. The Mahury is a river in French Guiana, South America, where Dutch Dredging has a long-term contract for maintaining the depth of the approach to the seaport of Dégrad des Cannes.

26 Oct 2015

Unmanned Vessels: The Future is Now

Norway’s unmanned 100 TEU coastal marine transportation system ReVolt is to be powered by a 3,000kWh battery to provide a range of 100 nautical miles. With no crew onboard DNV GL has estimated a total saving of up to $34 million over its estimated 30 years time in service.

There is a global boom in the development of unmanned systems, from below the ocean’s surface to high in the sky to the world’s roads. Add to this list the maritime industry, on both military and civilian vessels. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News examines in depth recent developments taking place in Europe to discover general thoughts and technical trends driving the future of unmanned shipping. The joint European Research Project MUNIN was finalized in August 2015, a project…

15 Sep 2015

OceanSaver BWT for 2 European-owned VLCCs

Ballast water treatment (BWT) supplier OceanSaver said it has been contracted to deliver BWTsystems for two VLCCs to a European owner, currently being constructed by STX Offshore & Shipbuilding in South Korea. The contract’s value is undisclosed. OceanSaver’s Mark II ballast water treatment system delivers filtration in combination with disinfection through patented electrodialysis, flexible system installation, as well as complete compliance with key regulations, standards and certificates, the manufacturer said. OceanSaver delivers type approved, IMO compliant and U.S. OceanSaver will deliver its Mark II BWT system by Q3 2016.

27 Aug 2015

Royal IHC successfully launches TSHD MAHURY

On 14 August, Royal IHC successfully launched the MAHURY, a 1,840m3 capacity twin-screw trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD), at partner shipyard MTG Dolphin Shipyard in Varna, Bulgaria. The vessel is being built for Baggerbedrijf de Boer - Dutch Dredging, whose Managing Director C.J. van de Graaf Jr, attended the launch. AMAZONE. The MAHURY is an upgraded version of the ALBATROS, which was delivered in 2013, and was well received by the customer. The MAHURY includes two dredging marks in its design that allows the vessel to operate at different distances from the shore, while still adhering to regulations. The first dredging mark is for operating within 15 miles from shore, and the second within 8 miles from shore.

01 Apr 2015

SeaZip Takes Delivery of Damen Crew Suppliers

SeaZip 3 (Photo: Damen)

On 28 March, SeaZip Offshore Service named two new Damen Fast Crew Suppliers (FCS) 2610 at Damen Shipyards Gorinchem. The two vessels, named SeaZip 3 and SeaZip 4, will expand their owner’s offshore wind farm support capacity in the North Sea region. SeaZip 3 and SeaZip 4 can be described as the Mark II version of Damen’s renowned FCS 2610. Responding to industry feedback, Damen has lengthened the wheelhouse and located the accommodation closer to the stern. “Passengers have their own space upstairs in the wheelhouse while downstairs there are 3 cabins and a small galley for the crew…

27 Mar 2015

Washington State Ferry Tacoma Returns to Service

M/V Tacoma (Washington State Department of Transportation)

Washington State Ferry M/V Tacoma will return to work on the Seattle/Bainbridge Island route starting March 28 after suffering electrical damage last summer. The Tacoma lost power and suffered significant damage to its electrical switchboard system transiting from Seattle to Bainbridge Island in July 2014, requiring ferry maintenance workers, engineers and contractors to spend eight months inspecting and rebuilding the system. In mid-March, crews conducted a battery of tests at the dock and at sea to ensure the electrical system is fully operational.

09 Sep 2014

Today in U.S. Naval History: September 9

Today in U.S. 1825 - USS Brandywine sails for France to carry the Marquis de Lafayette home after his year long visit to America. 1943 - Operation Avalanche, Western Naval Task Force under Vice Adm. 1945 - A "computer bug" is first identified and named by Lt. Grace Murray Hopper while she was on Navy active duty in 1945. It was found in the Mark II Aiken Relay Calculator at Harvard University. The operators affixed the moth to the computer log, where it still resides, with the entry: "First actual case of bug being found." They "debugged" the computer, first introducing the term. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.