Marine Link
Friday, March 29, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Spirit Of Ontario News

21 May 2013

Seaward Provides Bridge Officers for LCS and JHSV Sea Trials

Seaward Services provides bridge officers, including the master and chief engineer, for Builder and Acceptance Trials of the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV). USNS Choctaw County, the Navy's second Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV 2), satisfactorily completed Acceptance Trials, May 3 in Mobile, Ala. under the command of Seaward Services’ master, supported by the company’s chief engineer and other deck and engine officers. During Acceptance Trials the ship's major systems and equipment were tested and evaluated, including a full power run and demonstrations of main propulsion engineering and ship control systems, anchoring, emergency and crew support systems. The ship reached speeds of over 40 knots during at-sea trials.

29 Jan 2013

Power to the People

Like her two sister ships, Island Packers new boat will haul passengers, campers, and kayaks to the Channel Islands National Park, but the new vessel will be even more versatile with configurable seating, cargo carrying capacity, and an extendable  knuckle crane.

Passenger ferry and tour boat market segment has suddenly been revitalized and is on the verge of becoming hot. It is no secret: new vessel construction for the passenger vessel industry came to a virtual standstill in conjunction with the troubled economy. For many operators, just keeping the shingle hung, skilled crew at hand and something afloat at the other end of the mooring line has required the most scrupulous cost controls and strategy. With the results of the past election now set and several years of waiting and seeing under their belts…

02 Jan 2012

HMS Global Maritime Extends Westpac Express Contract

HMS Global Maritime (HMSGM) announce the extension of the HSV WestPac Express’ charter with the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) and the Third Marine Expeditionary Force, beginning in February 2012. The contract can last up to an additional two years. The HSV WestPac Express has been operated by HMSGM for the past nine years as a high-speed transport vessel for military personnel and equipment over a 1,200 mile range in Asia. The 101-meter vessel, home ported in Okinawa, Japan, can carry 970 troops and 236 vehicles at speeds of 35 knots. Over the past nine years, the HSV WestPac Express has experienced many achievements. One of those achievements came in March…

14 Jan 2004

Focus: Fast Ferries Still a Core Market for Austal

Although it has diversified into other vessel types in recent years, Western Australian based shipbuilding group Austal still counts fast ferries as a core market. The last year has been no exception, with the biggest news being the June announcement of an order for what will be the world's largest high-speed multihull vessel. Even more significant than the vessel's 126.7 m length overall is the fact that the cargo-vehicle-passenger ferry will be based on slender stabilized monohull hullform (more commonly referred to as a trimaran). While the experienced high-speed builder from down under touts the commercial value of the project, ramifications for its military aspirations, particularly with the U.S. armed forces, are clear.

07 Apr 2004

Austal, MTU: Power on Display in NYC

On April 6 Austal Ships and MTU introduced what it calls the world’s most powerful diesel-powered high-speed catamaran, Spirit of Ontario, in New York. The 284-ft. vessel -- powered by four MTU 20 V 8000 diesel enginesallowing for a loaded speed of 45.7 knots (52 mph/84 kph) – can carry 774 passengers and up to 238 cars or 10 full size trucks. It will be deployed by Canadian American Transportation System between Rochester, NY, and Toronto, ON. According to a survey conducted by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge…

30 Apr 2004

Lake Ontario – safety and security zones

The U.S. Coast Guard has established temporary safety and security zones around the high-speed ferry Spirit of Ontario when it is operating on waters of the Genesee River or on U.S. waters of Lake Ontario. Persons and other vessels are to remain at least 25 yards away from the high-speed ferry when it is operating on the Genesee River and at least 100 yards away when it is operating on U.S. waters of Lake Ontario. 69 Fed. Reg. 23563 (HK Law).

12 May 2004

Propulsion: Power for a New Breed of RoPax

Building fast RoPax vessels is nothing new for Australia's Austal Ships. The company, founded just 16 years ago, has quickly crafted a reputation as one of the largest and best builders of aluminum craft in the world, and today boasts an annual turnover in excess of $250 million. Spirit of Ontario, however, is in a different league. The ship arrived last month from its birth place Down Under to start work for Canadian American Transportation System on the commuter route between Rochester, NY, and Toronto, ON. Its inaugural route to work took it on tours through the Hawaiian Islands and eventually to Pier 17 at New York City's South Street Seaport…

04 Jun 2004

Emerging from Fog

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.

21 Jun 2004

Austal Delivers for U.S.

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…

10 Sep 2004

U.S. Ferry Market Prospects Looking Up

The proliferation of sleek, unique and fast ferries on U.S. waterways is slowly becoming the reality that has been much discussed for decades. While the country does not have an inate "ferry mentality" that is so prevalent in the European culture, in part due to the vastly different geographic challenges, many parts of the country, particularly the heavily congested Northeast corridor, are starting to accept the advantages of relatively fast and efficient water transport. According to a survey conducted by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Mass., high-speed ferries account for only 10 percent of the overall national U.S. ferry fleet.

22 Dec 2004

City Will Bid to Buy Ferry

(Photo: Monica E. The fate of the Spirit of Ontario has taken yet another interesting turn. According to an article published in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, the city of Rochester is poised to bid to buy the Spirit of Ontario, which now sits idly at the Port of Rochester. According to the paper the City Council approved a measure to turn the service into a publicly run operation, and it will try to buy the ship at a foreclosure auction scheduled for February 28. The $42.5 million aluminum catamaran operated for just 80 days this past summer before halting service in financial disarray.

11 Jan 2005

A Market that has Rediscovered its Rudder

The year 2004 was a watershed year for the passenger vessel industry. The first two American flagged fast passenger and vehicle ferries went into service and equally important was that business was up in all sectors of the marketplace. There is more variety as well. For the first time in several years, new casino boats are being built. One is for an operator in Michigan City, Indiana, a vessel being built at Chicago Bridge & Iron as a replacement boat for a vessel now almost 10 years old. A second is for the Lake Charles, La. Subsidiary of Pinnacle Entertainment, a Las Vegas-based gaming company. This is a 330-ft. by 225-ft. powered barge built by Leevac Shipyards, Jennings, La.