Lind Marine Acquires Moose Boats
Lind Marine, a Petaluma, Calif. dredging contractor which provides tug and barge services throughout the San Francisco Bay area, has acquired Moose Boats, an aluminum commercial boat building company. Lind Marine currently operates a five-acre shipyard including a 430ft dry-dock and 1,600-ft of linear pier on Mare Island in Vallejo, Calif. Lind Marine’s strategic acquisition of Moose Boats will ensure continuity of vessel production for the well-established patrol boat’s brand as well as complement a vertically integrated business model which Lind Marine has developed over the past century.
Shipbuilding: P3 Projects (with a Twist)
Private partnerships, executed perfectly – that’s West Coast boatbuilding in today’s challenging business climates. P3 Partnerships: no, we’re not talking about infrastructure funding. But, in our P3 version, boatbuilding in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska is alive and well, because of it. Long-standing enterprises and relative newcomers are all experiencing an uptick in projects. Here, as part of our annual MN100 top company profiles, we take a look at how three organizations have either merged and/or partnered with complementary companies to expand skills…
State of California Approves Major Ferry Expansion Plan
The San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority (WTA), a regional transit agency, announced that Governor Davis signed Senate Bill (SB) 915 (D-Perata, Oakland) giving the WTA the green light to develop seven new Bay Area ferry routes, expand existing ferry routes, and build 31 new boats. The new law, signed on October 10, 2003, makes the WTA a permanent transit agency. The WTA is authorized to operate a comprehensive San Francisco Bay area regional public water transit system. “We are on the brink of a new and exciting future for ferries on San Francisco Bay. The State’s approval is a significant step towards delivering more boats, new routes and good landside connections,” said Charlene Haught Johnson, President, WTA Board of Directors. “We thank the Governor and Legislature.
News: California to Build 31 New Ferries
The San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority (WTA) announced that the recently signed Senate Bill (SB) 915 (D-Perata, Oakland) gives it the go ahead to develop seven new Bay Area ferry routes, expand existing ferry routes, and build 31 new boats. Signed October 10, 2003, the bill makes the WTA a permanent transit agency. "We are on the brink of a new and exciting future for ferries on San Francisco Bay. The State's approval is a significant step towards delivering more boats, new routes and good landside connections," said Charlene Haught Johnson, President, WTA Board of Directors. "We thank the Governor and Legislature. This new law brings to fruition the work of hundreds of people who've advocated for enhancing our region's public transit system with water-transit," added Ms.
Marina Gets Grant to Launch Ferry Service
The money went to North Bay Ferry Service of Larkspur, which is owned by Skip Berg, a former owner of Infineon Raceway who also owns the Port Sonoma marina. The port sits on the Petaluma River at the Sonoma and Napa County lines, near the race track. None of the major transportation agencies in the area were made aware of the grant, including the Bay Area Water Transit Authority, which is developing a comprehensive ferry system for the region. The project still needs to clear other hurdles, as apparently other ferry service plans from Port Sonoma have been declined due to environmental concerns. If the project proceeds as planned, it should launch in 2009 or 2010.
Ferries to Provide Assistance in Future Disasters
To address future disasters, the Bay Area Council is working in Sacramento with the governor and legislative leaders on major infrastructure bond proposals, which may well set the agenda for decades to come. Being discussed is the legislation authored by Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland eight years ago, and signed into law by the governor, regarding the Bay Area Council’s proposal for a comprehensive high-speed water transit system that -- in addition to significantly improving daily traffic -- would provide a highly flexible disaster recovery transportation system. This new system recognized that the waters of the bay could be transformed from a transportation obstacle into a transportation asset, with high-speed ferries running to all communities with waterfront access.
