WSDOT Welcomes 64-Car Ferry to Fleet
The newest vessel to be added to the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) fleet of ferries was delivered by builder Todd Pacific Shipyards today. The 64-car ferry, Salish, will restore two-boat service to the Port Townsend/Coupeville route in July. “We feel a great sense of satisfaction after having built and delivered this complex vessel,” said Steve Welch, president of Todd Pacific Shipyards. “It’s going to transport millions of passengers for the next fifty years or more.
New WSDOT Ferry Salish in Sea Trials
The new Washington State ferry Salish is completing builder’s sea trials in Puget Sound. The vessel is expected to begin serving the Port Townsend-Coupeville route this summer, restoring full two-boat service to the route for the first time since 2007. Contractor Todd Pacific Shipyards is conducting sea trials to demonstrate the vessel to U.S. Coast Guard and WSDOT Ferries Division (WSF) inspectors before WSF accepts delivery of the vessel. Later this spring, WSF crews will begin…
SCA Announces New Chair/Vice Chair
The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) announced that Herschel Vinyard, vice president at Atlantic Marine Holding Company, has been elected its new chair. Mr. Vinyard takes the leadership role of the Council after two successful years that saw increased membership and an expansion of services provided by the SCA under the chairmanship of Steve Welch, CEO and President of Todd Pacific Shipyards. Chris Bollinger, executive vice president of Bollinger Shipyards, was elected to the position of vice-chair. The elections occurred during the Council’s annual Spring General Membership Meeting, held April 27 - 29, in Washington, DC. Past chair Steve Welch commented, "It was truly an honor to serve as chair of SCA.
Seattle Shipyard $29m Icebreaker Contract
U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that Todd Shipyards, a Seattle-based company, has been awarded a five-year $29m contract to retrofit the United States Coast Guard’s Polar Class icebreaker, Polar Star. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray helped secure $30.3m in the FY2009 Homeland Security Appropriations bill to re-activate the USCGC Polar Star, which is currently in caretaker status. “This contract is a shot in the arm for our maritime industry at a critical time,” said Senator Murray. According to Todd Pacific Shipyards' CEO, Steve Welch, the contract will mean sustaining or creating more than 250 jobs in the Puget Sound region. "This news couldn't have come at a better time," Welch said.
SCA Elects New Chairman
The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) announced that Steve Welch, chief executive officer of Todd Pacific Shipyards Corp., has been elected its new chairman, replacing Donald T. “Boysie” Bollinger, chief executive officer of Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. Butch King, chief executive officer of VT Halter Marine, Inc., was elected to the position of vice-chair. The elections took place during the Council’s annual Spring Meeting, held April 30 through May 1, in Washington, DC.
