Mark Wilson News

Canadian ferry owner and operator BC Ferries has issued Requests for Expressions of Interest (RFEOI) for the procurement of five new vessels to replace its aging fleet.The competitive bidding process is open to local, national and international shipyards, including consortiums, and BC Ferries encourages local and national companies to bid on these projects.The first RFEOI is for the procurement process for the construction of four 81-metre Island Class ferries, each with a capacity of 450 passengers and 47 vehicles. The expected delivery date for the first two of these vessels is in 2020, with the following two ships delivered in 2021.The second RFEOI is for the construction of one 107-metre Salish Class vessel with a capacity of 600 passengers and 138 vehicles.

Spirit of British Columbia, one of two BC Ferries vessels that will use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel, has finished conversion at the Remontowa Ship Repair Yard S.A. in Gdansk, Poland and has returned to service for the Canadian operator.The 1993-built ro-pax ferry Spirit of British Columbia was the first to undergo conversion while its sister vessel, the Spirit of Vancouver Island, is expected to complete conversion during the spring of 2019. The 550-foot ABS-classed vessels are the largest ships in the BC Ferries fleet with a capacity to carry 2…

Following an extensive, multi-phased international tender process, Canadian ferry operator BC Ferries has awarded Damen Shipyards Group a contract to construct two 81-meter ferries. The vessels are part of BC Ferries’ ongoing fleet renewal program. BC Ferries operates 24 ferry routes along the coast of British Columbia, Canada. The new vessels will be able to cover many of the company’s routes to the Northern and Southern Gulf Islands off the coast of Vancouver. Part of a fleet renewal program…

BC Ferries has awarded Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. of Gdansk, Poland contracts totaling $165 million to build three new Intermediate Class LNG-fueled passenger ferries, to be classed by Lloyd’s Register (LR). The new intermediate class vessels will be the first vessels in BC Ferries’ fleet to operate as dual-fuel capable, using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) or diesel fuel for propulsion and power. Mark Wilson, BC Ferries’ Vice President of Engineering, said, "BC Ferries is very pleased to have LR as the classification society on these new ‘Intermediate Class’ ferries.

The B.C. Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Board (SSRB) announce the release of its workforce development strategy document for the B.C. shipbuilding and ship repair industry: 'Towards 2020: A BC Shipbuilding & Ship Repair Industry Workforce Strategy'  is intended to inform and guide public and private investments in future labour market development initiatives over the next decade. It is forecast that throughout the next ten years alone, B.C. employers will need more than 4,000 skilled…

The company explains that nine pre-qualified shipyards responded to a Request for Pre-Qualification. • Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. • Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. In the RFP, BC Ferries has stipulated that these three vessels be designed to operate as dual-fuel capable. Specifically, these ships will be able to operate on either Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) or Marine Diesel Oil (MDO). BC Ferries is pursuing funding under incentive programs to help offset any incremental capital costs associated with the use of LNG.

A planning boat that is light, fast and economical, yet has the usable deck area of a boat twice it’s size and the stability of a trimaran! Sounds too good to be true, well that was my initial reaction until I attended the Press launch in Italy of the “transformer” Wider 42. I call it transformer because that’s what it does. It can plane at speeds over 50 knots and when it stops, by pressing a button, in 12 secs it transforms the cockpit deck into an are twice its size. To ensure stability, two sponsons, one each side slide out from the hull to increase stability.