Derecktor’s Bridgeport Facility Signs Contract for Sister Vessel

Derecktor Shipyards recently agreed to build a sister vessel to Warbaby Fox, the 124-ft. catamaran passenger ferry delivered this past summer to theGovernment of Bermuda. The 350-passenger BMT Nigel Gee design low-wake catamaran is now in operation as a commuter ferry. Bermuda currently has five high speed ferries operating a year round service out of Hamilton, including the recent addition. Derecktor-built Warbaby Fox is the largest catamaran delivered for the Bermuda Government as part of a transportation initiative to reduce road congestion by providing a viable alternative to the motor car. This new ferry was built specifically for a new commuter route operating between the centrally located capital city of Hamilton and the town of St. Georges on the eastern end of the Island. This new route complements the very successful Hamilton – west end routes currently provided.

The vessels are all owned by Bermuda’s Department of Marine & Ports Services of the Ministry of Tourism and Transportation, and operated under the name and logo of Sea Express. The ferry has an all aluminum hull with a resiliently mounted super structure. Designed to and constructed under Lloyd’s survey, the ferry is powered by four MTU 12V2000M70 diesel engines with ZF gear boxes and four Hamilton 512 waterjets. The ferry is a bow loader, for fast turn around time and offers optional side loading where bow loading facilities do not exist.

The vessel is accessible for physically challenged passengers with no ramps or sills on the main deck to encumber wheel chairs. There is seating for 212, plus 4 wheelchairs on the main deck in a spacious heated/air conditioned compartment. There is additional seating for 137 on the weather deck in a combination of covered and open seats. A kiosk for food services is located at the aft end of the boat. Unisex restrooms, two physically challenged accessible, are located port and starboard on the main deck. There are two additional restrooms located forward amidships, adjacent to the pilot house, one for the passengers and one for the crew. The ferry is designed for very low maintenance including the use of no paint above the waterline. Below the water, the hull is treated with an environmentally friendly non-toxic, silicon-based paint that will not require reapplication for approximately five years. Above the water, Derecktor applied a light-weight, easily maintained vinyl to the exterior surfaces. The vinyl has a service life of approximately ten years and is not prone to fading due to ultraviolet rays from the sun. Other “green” features include a zero discharge policy on all tank discharges.