Kitsap News

A Washington State Ferries (WSF) passenger vessel has been refloated after running aground this weekend in Rich Passage, just off Bainbridge Island, Wash.The 440-foot double-ended Jumbo Class ferry Walla Walla returned to Bremerton on Sunday, after grounding at approximately 4:30 p.m. Saturday, while traveling to Seattle from Bremerton.There were 596 passengers and 15 crew members on board at the time of the incident, and no injuries were reported, according to WSF.Passengers were transferred onto Kitsap Transit vessels and taken to Bremerton…

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley returned to homeport at Coast Guard Base Kodiak, Alaska, on Thursday, following an extended seven-month dry dock maintenance period in Seattle.While in dry dock, the crew and contractors successfully completed more than $6 million worth of repairs.The engineering department oversaw 76 work items including major overhauls on the cutter’s controllable pitch propeller system, speed reducers, rudders, and boilers, along with inspections of fuel, sewage, and water tanks.

The National Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMS) announced the dates for its 2022 New England Fall Conference in Newport, R.I. and North 2022 Pacific Fall Conference in Bremerton, Wash.The New England Fall Conference, to be held October 27 and 28, 2022, will include a roundtable and reception at the IYRS School of Technology & Trades. IYRS is a non-profit, post-secondary experiential learning institution and is the premier marine trades and modern manufacturing school in the United States. IYRS offers education and training programs for people with a passion for thinking and working through their hands.NAMS-accredited marine surveyors…

Washington State Ferries said one of its vessels suffered "significant damage" as the result of a "hard landing" at the Fauntleroy terminal in Seattle on Thursday.The Cathlamet, which was traveling from Vashon Island to West Seattle during a 7:55 a.m. sailing, reportedly struck an offshore dolphin (pilings, not the aquatic mammal) before alliding with the dock.Photos shared to social media show considerable damage to Cathlamet's port bow above the waterline. No injuries or pollution were reported, though several cars on board the ferry have been damaged.

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Cuttyhunk (WPB 1322) was decommissioned Thursday during a ceremony held at Air Station Port Angeles that was presided over by Capt. Mark McDonnell, 13th Coast Guard District Chief of Response.Cuttyhunk was one of the Coast Guard's 37 remaining 110-foot Island-class patrol boats. The fleet of Island-class cutters is being replaced by 154-foot Sentinel-class cutters built by Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards.Built by Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, La.

It’s a common story in the U.S. shipbuilding industry today. A piece of equipment that used to be available for delivery on short notice—maybe in one or two weeks—now must be ordered months or more in advance, and it costs double. Add to this rising steel prices and the labor issues that have pervaded nearly all industrial sectors since the early days of the pandemic, and it’s clear that business is far from usual for American shipyards.Bollinger Shipyards president and CEO, Ben Bordelon…

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded $45.3 million in grant funding to help buy, repair, and modernize ferry boats and terminals.The fiscal year 2021 grants have been awarded to projects in 11 states and territories, providing funds for capital projects that support existing passenger ferry service, establish new ferry service, and upgrade ferry boats, terminals and related facilities and equipment. The grants also help transit agencies and ferry companies offset the considerable cost of introducing new…

Alternatives to fossil fuels are emerging throughout the maritime universe, and vessels working in U.S. rivers, waterways and harbors are at the cusp on this trend. While the alternative fuels spectrum is wide, battery power and electrification—a technology that has seen a decade of shipboard applications already—is particularly suited for smaller vessels.Crowley Maritime Corp will be taking delivery of a completely electric tugboat, dubbed eWolf; the boat- which will include kit for advanced vessel control tied to an electric propulsion system from ABB…

Shipbuilder Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) said it has delivered the second of two 255-passenger-only ferries to Kitsap Transit of Bremerton, Wash. Like the first-in-class-vessel the Enetai, the Commander outperformed design expectations during vessel trials, delivering to Kitsap Transit a lighter, faster, and smoother riding vessel, the builder said. Kitsap Transit awarded a design and construction contract to Nichols Brothers Boat Builders for two new ferries in December 2018.

Bremerton, Wash. ferry operator Kitsap Transit said it has purchased the secondhand passenger vessel Solano for approximately $1 million from the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA),The sale closed last Friday following approval by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The federal government has an interest in the 125-foot high-speed ferry that dates back to 2004, when the City of Vallejo, Calif., used a federal grant to buy the 320-passenger catamaran for $11,165,604 from Anacortes, Wash.

Technological advancement is opening new doors for hybrid and fully electric vessels.In mid-2020, the U.S. Navy accepted the delivery of the USS Zumwalt, the Navy’s first full-electric power and propulsion surface combatant. The ship’s new electric propulsion plant provides favorable efficiency coupled with a reduced total cost of ownership. The design is flexible and efficient to deliver power where it’s needed, when it’s needed. Its adoption is symbolic of a maritime future and what could be in store for other marine craft…

Joe Hudspeth is the Director of Business Development for Global Marine at BAE Systems in Endicott, N.Y. BAE Systems offers complete, efficient propulsion and auxiliary power systems utilizing electric technology. Hudspeth has been involved with maritime sales, marketing and product development since 2000. He currently serves as a regional co-chairman for the Passenger Vessel Association, is a judge for the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association student design competition, and frequently speaks and writes on maritime and ferry related issues. Hudspeth lives in Bellingham, Wash.

A new BMT design 140-ft. catamaran passenger ferry has  reportedly passed its sea trial and is due to enter the Kitsap Transit fleet in the next few weeks. Dubbed Enetai, the boat was built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) in Seattle, with a sister vessel, Commander,  due to be launched later in 2021.The ferry is designed to carry 255 passengers on a single deck, with space for up to 26 bicycles. Designed with combined bow and side loaders to enable operations at multiple terminals…

Built by Dakota Creek Industries in Anacortes, Wash., the first of the U.S. Navy's new fleet of six YT 808-class tugs was delivered in October after completing the last construction phase. Measuring 90 feet long and 38 feet 3 inches wide, the YT 808 vessel is powered by twin Cat 3512E marine engines, each rated at 1,810 horsepower. The engines drive two Schottel SRP 340 fixed-pitch z-drive thrusters providing a top speed of 12.5 knots and an expected bollard pull of 40 metric tons.The new series of Robert Allan Ltd.-designed tugs are the Navy's first vessels built to meet the U.S.

Mackay Marine said it provided marine electronics systems and technologies for Kitsap Transit's two new 250-passenger vessels built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB).Bremerton, Wash.-based public transit agency ordered the new vessels in December 2018 to provide expedient commuter services to downtown Seattle from both Kingston, Wash. and a planned Southworth, Wash. route.The bow-loading fast ferries, built by NBBB at its Whidbey Island, Wash. shipyard, are state-of-the-art, low-wake vessels.

The U.S. Navy’s first Yard Tug (YT) 808 class tug recently delivered to Naval Base Kitsap, Bremerton Annex. Only 17 days after delivery, YT 808 was in the water assisting USNS Richard Byrd (T-AKE 4) as it moved away from the dock at Naval Magazine Indian Island.“Narrowing the gap between delivery and providing operational support is a priority for our team,” said Mike Kosar, program manager of Support Ships, Boats, and Craft Program Office within Program Executive Office Ships (PEO Ships).

As the global maritime community collectively is slowly pushed toward decarbonization, it is generally agreed that there is no ‘silver bullet’ technical solution and that progress will come in steps, led by public/private collaboration and funding.A recent development following that script is the awarding this week of federal funds to a Washington State team working to accelerate ferry technology, with the joint innovation project selected for funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration.

A group of public and private partners in Washington have come together to accelerate the design of a fast foil ferry to provide zero-emissions, high-speed passenger ferry service in the Evergreen State.Participants in the Joint Innovation Project include three Washington ports that have joined forces to support the effort: Port of Anacortes, Port of Bellingham and Port of Skagit. The vessel is under design by Glosten, a naval architecture and marine engineering firm, and Bieker Boats, a performance marine craft designer.

BAE Systems’ HybriGen technology is creating a path to zero emissions.The rise in planet-warming greenhouse gases is driving a need for cleaner transportation on the ground, in the air and on the water. Leaders in the marine industry are taking note, and vessel operators are making the move to green power and propulsion systems.BAE Systems is creating a path to cleaner harbors and waterways with its HybriGen Power and Propulsion system. The system has three configurations to provide operators with options on their way to zero emissions.

Ice Cap Holdings, LLC expands its shipyard presence to include a service and repair facility in Everett, Washington. Everett Ship Repair, LLC (ESR) was established earlier this month by Ice Cap Holdings, the parent company of Ice Floe, LLC dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB). The expansion creates a diverse shipbuilding portfolio between the sister companies, offering NBBB’s new build expertise and ESR’s repair and service capabilities. Everett Ship Repair will focus on vessel repair…

All American Marine (AAM) has completed construction and delivered the last of three low wake and high-speed passenger vessels built for Kitsap Transit based in Bremerton, Wa.The Lady Swift, an aluminum catamaran coupled to a composite superstructure and a dynamic carbon fiber hydrofoil, was delivered to Bremerton on Friday, July 26, 2019. The vessel was designed by Teknicraft Design Auckland, New Zealand and will operate on Kitsap’s current cross-sound ferry route between Bremerton and downtown Seattle…

BMT has announced the signing of a contract for two new 43 meter (104’ x 37’’ x 12.5’) high-speed, passenger Fast Ferries for Kitsap Transit, with an option for a third to be added to this vessel fleet. The custom design project will once again see the UK’s leading engineering design consultancy partner with US shipyard Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) and will join the Kitsap Fast Ferry service in Seattle once completed. The bow and side loading vessels will accommodate a maximum of 255 passengers on board with protected storage capacity for 26 bicycles.

Beneath the decks of vessels across the U.S. a quiet revolution is underway. Inside their underbelly is a high-tech set of components that work in unison – quietly humming together to push vessels through the water without a splash.The technology isn’t new. In fact, it has been powering cars and buses for years. However, with the rise in planet-warming greenhouse gases, it’s now making its way to the open water and creating a new wave of clean transportation. As vessel operators see the environmental benefits…