Thames Clippers News

British aluminum shipbuilder Wight Shipyard has launched Earth Clipper, the first in a series of series of two new Clipper-class hybrid passenger vessels for Uber Boat by Thames Clippers.One of the key features of the new ferry is its hybrid propulsion system, which combines electric and diesel engines to reduce emissions and minimize our environmental impact making it one of the most eco-friendly options for river transport in London.The hybrid design will allow the new Uber…

A group of partners aiming to boost efficiency and sustainability for transporting goods in and around London has come together to trial shipping light freight on the River Thames.The non-profit Cross River Partnership (CRP) recently launched the London Light Freight River Trial, London’s first daily, multi-supplier, river freight trial, as part of the Defra-funded Clean Air Logistics for London project. The group has been working with the Port of London Authority (PLA), Lyreco UK & Ireland…

British aluminum shipbuilder The Wight Shipyard Co. on Tuesday announced an all-share merger with France-based shipbuilder OCEA to create a combined group aiming to capitalize on the fast ferry and offshore renewable energy markets opportunities. The deal is scheduled to complete by March 2022 and will see The Wight Shipyard Co. nearly double in size.Peter Morton, CEO of The Wight Shipyard Co., said, “This is a transformational deal for The Wight Shipyard Co. and for the Isle of Wight, confirming the resurgence of the shipbuilding industry in the United Kingdom.

Uber is taking to the water in London. Earlier this month the international ride-hailing company marked the start of a partnership with water taxi operator Thames Clippers to provide its services on the River Thames.The first vessel donning Uber Boat by Thames Clippers branding set sail on August 3 as part of a fleet of 20 passenger vessels departing from 23 piers across London from Putney in the west to Woolwich Royal Arsenal in the east.Uber is rolling out the service on its app…

UK shipbuilder Wight Shipyard Co has completed its second export order. The order placed by Ultramar, the largest ferry operator in Mexico, consists of two 37m fast ferries which will be transported to Cancun Mexico at the beginning of July.The critical issues for these newbuilds were timely delivery and the weight saving target that needed to be achieved. Fuel costs are high in Mexico and are of paramount importance to Ultramar. The vessels were designed by Incat Crowther, which…

Wight Shipyard Co (WSC)’s newbuild hybrid vessel unveiled at Seawork 2019. Setting new standards in the patrol and pilot vessels the 9m hybrid is a step change for operators including port and river authorities, police, MOD and Royal Navy who need to meet new pollution standards.Port authorities, harbor and river patrols need to keep pace with the changing environmental requirements seeking solutions and vessels that can operate zero emissions but switch easily between variable…

A call for papers addressing transformational change has been launched by global trade association Interferry ahead of its 44th annual conference in London this October.The conference theme is Innovation – and CEO Mike Corrigan stresses that preference will be given to topics highlighting step change rather than incremental improvements. “We want to explore ideas that could revolutionize every aspect of the ferry industry,” he notes. “That might cover anything from customer service, ticketing and IT to ship and terminal design, propulsion, insurance and finance.

Reygar, a provider of innovative remote monitoring and reporting platforms to the marine industry, has announced that specialist high-speed ferry builder, Wight Shipyard, has installed its BareFLEET monitoring system on the new Catamaran Venus Clipper - the latest fast ferry built for MBNA Thames Clippers.BareFLEET is a cloud-based monitoring platform that will give Wight Shipyard an unprecedented level of insight into the performance of the new vessel as it enters operational service on the Thames.

UK shipbuilder Wight Shipyard has completed its third and largest vessel for MBNA Thames Clippers, the 38-metre catamaran ferry Venus Clipper.The first Hunt Class Mk3 has been built to a ten-month build schedule and is reflective of the increased business the yard has previously predicted in the fast ferry sector, said a release.Peter Morton, CEO, Wight Shipyard, said: "One of the most important elements that strengthens this sector is that it is cushioned against the effects of the 2020 low sulphur cap and is actually in a better position than the conventional ferry market.”“This is because it does not have to worry about finding the increased capex to fit scrubbers or face a huge surge in costs by changing to low sulphur fuel, as fast ferries already run on low sulphur fuel.

U.K. shipbuilder Wight Shipyard Co has delivered its latest vessel to Scottish tourism operator Loch Ness by Jacobite. The new 20-meter day-cruise passenger catamaran Jacobite Maverick is joining the company’s fleet sailing between Dochgarroch, just outside Inverness, Clansman Harbour and the ruins of Urquhart Castle.Designed by Australia’s One2three Naval Architects, the hullform of the new catamaran is engineered to provide through-life efficiency with low structural weight assisting lower fuel consumption…

U.K. shipbuilder Wight Shipyard Co has secured an order to build a new 39-meter low wash, high-speed catamaran ferry for operation by Twin City Liner on the Danube River between Vienna and Bratislava. The new vessel is scheduled to be delivered in time for the 2019 summer season, starting at the end of March. Incat Crowther said it was selected as the designer after its staff viewed the operation on the Danube first-hand, affording a detailed understanding of the complex operational requirements.

Global trade association Interferry has chosen Hobart, Tasmania, as the venue for its 45th annual conference in October 2020 – the third time that the ferry industry’s showcase event will have been staged in Australia following Sydney in 1995 and Gold Coast in 2002. Hobart was confirmed for 2020 during an Interferry board meeting in Atlanta, U.S. “We felt it was important to go back to Australia – we have a strong base of members there and they have always been very supportive,” explained CEO Mike Corrigan.

Sydney has its Harbour Ferries, Hong Kong its Star Ferries and New York the instantly recognizable Staten Island Ferries. Add to that list London, for increasingly the fleet of MBNA Thames Clippers is becoming as identifiable with the British capital as its famous red double decker buses. Wight Shipyard Company has delivered to MBNA Thames Clippers the latest, most technically advanced and energy efficient fast ferries in the expanding London fleet; the 35 meter low wash catamarans Mercury Clipper and Jupiter Clipper.

The largest fast passenger ferry order for a U.K. shipyard in over 25 years has been confirmed by MBNA Thames Clippers. Two new 170 capacity passenger boats will be built at the Wight Shipyard Co on the Isle of Wight, and will join London’s growing river transport network in summer 2017. Representing an investment worth over £6.3 million, the order will see the creation of 75 new jobs across the Isle of Wight and London, and the involvement of over 100 businesses in the South of England as part of the delivery supply chain.

Six new ferries to operate on Sydney’s Inner Harbor have been ordered from Australian shipbuilder Incat Tasmania’s Hobart Shipyard, who was awarded the contract to prepare detailed designs and build the new vessels. The new vessel exterior is a traditional design to look similar to the Sydney First Fleet vessels, however the 35-meter, 400-passenger boats have greater capacity than the current fleet. According to the builder, the interior will be more spacious with comfortable inside seating…

More than 250 top-level delegates attended trade association Interferry’s 38th annual conference in Malta to debate the major factors affecting ferry operations around the world. Under a new format mixing presentations with panel discussions and audience input, the event underlined the diversity of political, technical, operational and commercial issues challenging the industry. Among several sessions focused on safety, a former airline pilot confirmed the alarming certainty of human error…