News: Gladding-Hearn Starts Construction of New Incat Vessel

Bay State Cruise Co. ordered a 149-passenger high-speed ferry from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding for service between Boston and Provincetown, Mass., due for delivery in June.

The new, all-aluminum ferry, designed by Incat Designs is 98 ft. (29.8 m) long, 29.5 ft. (9.1 m) at the beam, and draws 6 ft. (1.8 m). It will be powered by a pair of Cummins KTA38M2 diesel engines, each delivering 1,350 bhp at 1,950 rpm. The engines will turn twin Brutons five-blade nickel-aluminum-bronze propellers via ZF2550 reverse-reduction gearboxes. The ferry's top speed is expected to reach 30 knots.

The new catamaran's more modern and rounded bows are Incat's latest development in hull design. The hulls' lower resistance is designed to improve sea-keeping and efficiency and the shape is more suitable to a variety of trims and displacements, said shipyard president Peter Duclos. "The Friendship IV's nearly non-stop performance in the past 10 years, from BVI to Florida to Boston, New York City and Bar Harbor, Maine, is respected in the industry. The new boat offers the same simplicity and economy, but with more modern equipment and construction. Structural improvements will save weight and the new hull design will increase the vessel's sea-keeping and fuel efficiency. The conservatively-rated engines provide an economical balance of passenger capacity and speed."