Timothy Graul News

Burger Boat Company announced the launch of P/V Lucia, an 89-foot steel passenger vessel for Wendella Sightseeing Company, Inc. Lucia, designed by Timothy Graul Marine Design of Sturgeon Bay, Wisc., was launched into the Manitowoc River Friday, May 29 with her owners, the Burger staff and the Manitowoc community in attendance. Lucia is styled after other vessels in Wendella's fleet and will be used for its Combined Lake and River Tour, the Chicago River Architecture Tour, specialty cruises and private events.

Burger Boat Company announced that it has received a contract for the construction of an 89-foot (27-meter) steel passenger vessel for Wendella Sightseeing Company, Chicago, Ill. Styled after other vessels in Wendella's fleet, this vessel will be used for their signature Combined Lake and River Tour, the Chicago River Architecture Tour, specialty cruises and private events. The 89-foot (27-meter) steel passenger vessel provides an enclosed, climate controlled main deck cabin where guests will find a striking black granite bar and room for socializing.

The 89-ft steel excursion boat, Linnea built by Blount Boats for Wendella Sightseeing Company was completed and accepted on July 20, 2010. The vessel was delivered to Chicago via Erie Canal and began service on July 30th. The delivery for the Linnea is especially timely on account of the fact that Wendella Sightseeing, Chicago’s original tour boat company is celebrating its 75th season as one of the city’s premier sightseeing and tourism venues. The new Linnea was designed by Timothy Graul Marine Design of Sturgeon Bay…

Blount Boats, Inc. has signed a contract with Wendella Sightseeing Company, Inc. to construct an 89 by 30-ft steel excursion vessel. This vessel will be a sister ship to the M/V Wendella (Hull 320) built by the Blount shipyard in 2007. The vessel was designed by Timothy Graul Marine Design and will operate in the Chicago area. The 300 passenger vessel will be powered by twin screw C12 Caterpillar engines, 385hp at 1,800 rpm with ZF gears. Delivery for Hull #330 is scheduled for May 2010 via the Erie Canal in time for the 75th anniversary celebration of Wendella Sightseeing Company. Wendella Sightseeing, Chicago’s original boat tour company has been operating since 1935.

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.

San Rafael, a 204 x 44 x 16 ft. OSV was recently launched by Eastern Shipbuilding Group. The vessel is being constructed for Naviera Tamaulipas, S.A. de C.V. of Tampico, Mexico, for operations in the Bahia de Campeche fields off Eastern Mexico. Capacities include 110,000 gallons of fuel, 211,000 gallons of drill water/ballast, 7,200 cu. ft. of bulk mud in six tanks, and 3,012 barrels of liquid mud. The propulsion plant consists of a pair of Caterpillar 3516B main engines rated at 2,000 hp each @ 1,600 rpm, complete with Caterpillar Engine Vision Alarm and Monitoring System, coupled to Reintjes WAF-862 gearboxes, with 96 in. diameter, four-blade stainless steel propellers.

Every year, MarineNews chooses a handful of vessels delivered in the past 12 months and bestows upon them the distinction of “Great Boats.” The boats are chosen for innovations in design, construction and utilization. Following are the 17 vessels or groups of vessels chosen as the Great Boats of 2000. Crowley Marine Services delivered Alert, Attentive, and Aware, a series of three 140-ft., 10,000-hp Prevention and Response Tugs (PRTs), to Alyeska Pipeline Service Company in Valdez, Alaska. Specifically designed and developed for Alyeska, the boats will be used by Crowley in the Trans Alaska Pipeline System trade. Alert was deployed in February; Attentive was delivered in June, and Aware was delivered in July.

In April, the State of Illinois will take delivery of the new river ferry for crossing the Illinois River between Grafton and Brussels Township in Illinois' Calhoun County. A 120- by 35-ft. barge, capable of carrying 24 cars, a couple of legal-highway-limit tractor trailer rigs or the equivalent, will be moved by a towboat. The 56- by 18-ft. tow boat will be powered by a pair of Cummins 6CTA-8.3M main engines each delivering 250 hp at 1,800 rpm. An interesting ball and socket system will link the tow boat and the barge. Extending out from the mid point of the downstream side of the barge, a structure is linked to a similar structure from mid-ship on the towboat's bow. The tow boat is made up to the barge by a ball and socket on these structures.

Blount Boats, Inc. has signed a contract with Wendella Sightseeing Company, Inc. to construct an 89 x 30 ft. steel excursion vessel. The vessel was designed by Timothy Graul Marine Design and will operate in the Chicago area. The 300 passenger vessel will be powered by twin screw Caterpillar engines. Delivery for Hull #320 is scheduled for April 2007 via the Erie Canal.

The passenger vessel industry continues to be mired in a construction malaise with high-speed passenger only ferries and more conventional passenger auto ferries the only bright spot. The epicenter of the passenger vessel ferry business is the New York City metro area where dozens of new ferries have been added to replace the PATH and other subway lines destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Suddenly "the way to work" for thousands of commuters was severed. Recent deliveries into the area include five 79-foot catamarans for NY Waterway. They are single deck, 149-foot passenger only ferries. The company also has purchased two 340-passsenger fast ferries from NY Fast Ferry. The ramp up in New York City ferry services has not been without difficulties, however.

Jim Murray of Freeport Shipbuilding will be delivering several more of his popular passenger vessels for the coming season. One, Chicago's Little Lady, will be delivered from the Florida yard along the intercoastal waterway and up through the Mississippi and Illinois River systems to Chicago for owners Bob and Holly Agra. Designed by Timothy Graul Marine Design of Sturgeon Bay, Wis., the 68 x 23-ft. steel-hulled vessel is of single-chine form with a plumb stem and round (almost a fantail) stern. She was intended to have a family resemblance to her big sister, 225-passenger Chicago's First Lady, but is an original design in her own right.

The Merrimac Ferry, which crosses the Wisconsin River between Sauk and Columbia counties, is Wisconsin's only free ferry. It shuttles WIS 113 traffic between Okee on the east bank and Merrimac on the west. In the 150 plus years that a ferry has operated at this location it has been propelled by muscle, river current, gasoline engine and diesel. Most recently it has pulled itself along on a pair of cables crossing the river. The ferry is so popular that it has not been replaced by a bridge and, in spite of nearby bridges, car loads of tourist line up regularly to ride it. The ferry's popularity is such that this past winter a larger 15-car vessel has been built to replace the existing 1960s era 12 car Colsac II. To be named the Colsac III 105 by 44-ft.

For many years the fortunes of the Great Lakes-based shipbuilders and naval architects was based solidly on the building level of the owners who were also based on the 94,000 sq. mi. of water that makes up the five Great Lakes. That is no longer as true a statement as it once was. While there are many projects in this area designed and build by Great Lakes firms for owners in the area, an impressive number of significant commercial market projects as varied as Staten Island, New York ferries and Gulf of Mexico crew/supply boats were designed and or built on the Great Lakes. The Kennedy Class of double ended auto/passenger ferries is one of the most recognizable images of New York City. Every weeknight millions of people see one during the opening of the David Letterman Show.