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The Ada News

14 Dec 2023

Gulf Craft Building New Ferry for US Virgin Islands

(Image: Incat Crowther)

Franklin, La. shipbuilder Gulf Craft LLC in November kicked off construction on new Incat Crowther-designed passenger ferry for the U.S Virgin Islands.The new USCG Subchapter-K approved, 104-foot (32-metre) vessel will service the busy tourist and commuter route between Red Hook on the island of St. Thomas, and Cruz Bay on the island of St. John. Currently, two other Incat Crowther-designed 28-metre vessels service this route.The simple yet stylish new ferry will be designed with…

30 Mar 2023

New Hybrid-electric Ferry Being Built for New York City

Rendering of the new, hybrid Governors Island Ferry. (Image: Elliott Bay Design Group)

New York City is set to receive its first public hybrid-electric ferry, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Wednesday.The first-of-its-kind vessel—currently under construction at Conrad Shipyard’s facility in Morgan City, La.— will begin transporting passengers to Governors Island in summer of 2024. It will replace the diesel-powered Lt. Samuel S. Coursen, the Trust for Governors Island’s current vehicle and passenger ferry, which was commissioned by the U.S. Army in 1956 and has been…

28 Nov 2022

Marine News' Top Vessels of 2022

Mark W. Barker (Photo: Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding)

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted the most notable newbuilds delivered in 2022. From sturdy and nimble workboats, to the first new Jones Act laker in a generation, each vessel on display showcases the industry’s engineering prowess and technological ingenuity, with the focus on improving efficiency in operations. The maritime industry has no shortage of challenges to overcome, and each of Marine News’ top vessels will, in one way or another, aid efforts to tackle them.Mark W.

01 Nov 2022

Ghana's Historic Slave Forts are Being Swallowed by Rising Seas

Cape Coast Castle - Ghana / ©demerzel21/AdobeStock

For 21 years, Fort Prinzenstein's caretaker James Ocloo Akorli has watched the Gulf of Guinea's tempestuous waters eat away at both his livelihood and his heritage.The 18th century Danish citadel, set along Ghana's palm-fringed coastline, was once the last stop for captured Africans before they were forced onto slave ships bound for the Americas.Today, three-quarters of the UNESCO World Heritage site has been swallowed by the sea."There have been mornings after a storm when I have come to find large parts of the fort have just disappeared…

31 Oct 2022

DOT Announces $703M in Port Funding; 41 Projects in 22 States

Copyright bannafarsai/AdobeStock

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced more than $703 million to fund 41 projects in 22 states and one territory that designed to help improve port facilities through the Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program. Following is the full list of FY 2022 Port Infrastructure Development Grant Awards:ALASKANorth Extension Stabilization Step 1 Project ($68,700,000), Anchorage, AlaskaThe Project will reconfigure and realign the shoreline within the “North Extension” (the area north of the existing general cargo terminals) at the Port of Alaska in Anchorage, Alaska.

22 Jul 2022

All American Marine Delivers Whale-watching Vessel to Puget Sound Express

(Photo: All American Marine)

Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine (AAM) has delivered the new whale-watching vessel Swiftsure to Puget Sound Express (PSE).The vessel was modeled after the All American Marine built and Teknicraft designed Saratoga, delivered in the Spring of 2018. The larger 77’ Swiftsure will maintain performance while adding space to Puget Sound Express’ whale watch and eco-tourism business, the builder said.The 150-passenger, semi-displacement catamaran hull for this vessel was developed by Nic de Waal of Teknicraft Design in Auckland, New Zealand.

13 Jul 2022

Miller Boat Line Adds New Ferry Mary Ann Market

(Photo: Miller Boat Line)

Ohio-based Miller Boat Line has taken delivery of its newest passenger and vehicle ferry Mary Ann Market from Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding.The ferry left the Sturgeon Bay, Wis. shipyard on July 8 and arrived to her home port Put-in-Bay, on Ohio's South Bass Island, on July 10. The vessel is expected to enter service following its U.S. Coast Guard inspection later this month.The newbuild is named in honor of the company's late owner Mary Ann Market (1935-2010), "the backbone of the company", according to Jake Market, vice president at Miller Boat Line.

11 Jan 2022

Eye on Design: Repair and Conversion Conundrums in Hybrid Propulsion

The 35-foot Solar Hybrid Electric Wheelchair Accessible Catamaran built by the author for his wife who became wheelchair bound a few years ago. Photo courtesy Rik van Hemmen

I recently built a 35 foot Solar Hybrid Electric Wheelchair Accessible Catamaran for my wife who became wheelchair bound a few years ago. (In typing this sentence, I just realized that this vessel can be referred to as a SHEWAC)It is only a 35 foot recreational vessel, but it contains all the propulsion pieces that are found in any other modern hybrid propelled vessel.I have operated the vessel for one summer and have learned a lot of things that I had not considered when I first conceived her.Fortunately…

21 May 2021

The Shipping Industry Embraces Battery Power

Photo courtesy Flagships project

The past decade has seen tight restrictions on emissions from vessels, notably with a 2015 move to a .10% sulfur maximum in Emission Control Areas (ECA) in North America and in northern Europe. As the International Maritime Organization (IMO) now shapes shipping’s decarbonization future, shipowners are looking at transitions away from fossil fuels. Among the myriad of alternatives are lithium ion batteries and some early forays into hydrogen fuel cells.To date, large batteries are used on short runs…

05 Mar 2020

SCHOTTEL to Supply EcoPellers to Norled

Photo: SCHOTTEL

SCHOTTEL has won a contract from Ada Shipyard in Turkey to supply propulsion units for two double-ended Ro-Pax ferries. As part of the deal, the German propulsion manufacturer will provide a total of four SCHOTTEL Rudder EcoPellers (SRE) for the LMG 60 DE design vessels ordered recently by Norwegian ferry operator Norled.The ferries’ main propulsion consists of two SCHOTTEL EcoPellers type SRE 270 (810 kW each) with 1.85 m diameter fixed pitch propellers (one at each end of the ferry). Each of the azimuth thrusters is driven by two bio-diesel engines through a twin-in-single-out gearbox.

25 Nov 2019

Spanish Rescue Ship Stranded off Italy

The leader of a Spanish rescue mission said on Sunday that Italian authorities had refused to grant port access to its Open Arms ship, leaving the vessel stranded in rough conditions in the Mediterranean with more than 70 African migrants on board.The 73 migrants were picked up from a packed rubber dinghy drifting about 50 miles off Libya on Wednesday night.Italy has allowed the ship to enter its national waters to shelter from a storm but has refused to let the vessel dock, the charity said.Open Arms Mission Chief Ricardo Gatti, who is onboad the ship, said the organization has requested to land in Italy and Malta but has been denied permission.

23 Sep 2019

New Catamaran for Bar Harbor Whale Watch

Photo: Incat Crowther

A newly built multi-functional 30m catamaran passenger vessel, Coastal Explorer, has been delivered for a whale watching excursion operator in Bar Harbor, Maine.Built by Gulf Craft in Franklin, La., the vessel closely follows two predecessors delivered in 2018, Acadia Explorer and Schoodic Explorer and brings the operator’s number of Incat-Crowther-designed  vessels to five total.Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co will use the USCG Subchapter T certified vessel for whale watching excursions…

11 Feb 2019

Kitsap Transit's Hybrid-Electric Water Taxi

Photo: All American Marine

All American Marine, Inc. (AAM) built and launched a 150-passenger hybrid electric vessel for Kitsap Transit.The aluminum catamaran was designed by Glosten, Seattle, WA, and will operate during peak times on Kitsap’s Bremerton-Port Orchard or Bremerton- Annapolis routes.The 70 x 26 ft. USCG certified passenger ferry features an efficient aluminum catamaran hull, ADA access throughout the main deck, and twin BAE Systems HybriDrive propulsion systems driving fixed pitch propellers.

21 Oct 2018

NGO Shipbreaking Platform Slams Gadani Yards

A tanker caught fire at the Gadani shipbreaking beach that holds a deplorable record of life threatening accidents on 11 October.Fortunately, no casualties were recorded. Only a few days later, on 14 October, yet another oil tanker named KRITI (IMO 9270737) caught fire, this time injuring seven workers, three of which are in a critical condition.The Platform has reported a series of accidents following the catastrophic explosion that killed at least 29 workers and injured 58 on the 1st of November 2016. Since then, there have been at least five more fires caused by unsafe cutting operations. Difficult access for firefighters, a severe lack of ambulances and no hospital in the close vicinity of the yards aggravate the conditions…

17 Oct 2018

Cross-Bay Ferry Returning to Tampa Bay

Service begins Nov. 1 with new dock at Florida Aquarium and Sparkman Wharf. Six-month season has lower ticket prices and more amenities. The hugely popular Cross-Bay Ferry service is returning to Tampa Bay in just a few weeks, with service starting Thursday, November 1 and six months of scheduled service through April 2019.This season, the ferry will have a new schedule, later evening runs and lower ticket prices: $8 for adults, $3 for children ages 5-18, and discounts for seniors, active/retired military and college students. In St.

19 Sep 2018

Miller Boat Line Orders New Ferry

(Image: Miller Boat Line)

Miller Boat Line has ordered a new drive-on, drive-off passenger/vehicle ferry for delivery from Superior, Wis. builder Fraser Shipyards in fall 2019. The new ferry will be delivered from Lake Superior to Lake Erie and her new home port of Put-in-Bay, Ohio.The 140-foot-long, 38.5-foot-wide newbuild will be able to accommodate 26 standard sized vehicles or 600 passengers and will join Miller’s present fleet of four passenger/vehicle ferries, which operate between the peninsula of Catawba to Put-in-Bay (South Bass Island) and to Middle Bass Island…

05 Sep 2018

Whale Watching Catamaran Ferries Delivered

Acadia Explorer (Photo: Incat Crowther)

A pair of multifunctional 29-meter catamaran passenger vessels, Acadia Explorer and Schoodic Explorer, have been delivered on the U.S. East Coast.Designed by Incat Crowther and built by Gulf Craft in Franklin, La. for Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co, the USCG Subchapter T certified vessels will be used for whale watching excursions, nature cruises and light house tours in the Acadia National Park and surrounding areas as well for providing tender services to cruise ships which frequent picturesque Bar Harbor…

16 Aug 2018

Shipbuilding: “We had shipyard for dinner …”

Brothers and co-presidents Peter Duclos (left) and John Duclos flank sister Carol Hegarty, CFO. Photo: Greg Trauthwein

The Duclos family is iconic in boatbuilding circles, as the Somerset, Mass.-based Gladding-Hearn, Duclos Corporation, has built a strong heritage in the pilot boat and fast ferry sectors, and in total more than 425 vessels have been delivered since it was founded in 1955. Today a trio of second-generation siblings run the yard, brothers and co-presidents John and Peter Duclos with sister Carol Hegarty serving as CFO. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News visited the yard recently…

20 Jul 2018

Another Ferry Delivered to MBTA in Boston

(Photo: Incat Crowther)

Glory, the second Incat Crowther designed 27m catamaran ferry built by Gladding Hearn for MBTA of Boston has been delivered following on from sister ship Champion.When Champion was launched late last year, she was the 500th Incat Crowther designed vessel to enter service; Glory takes that number to 529. At the heart of that growth is a range of multi-vessel mass transit projects, such as a quartet of vessels for San Francisco’s WETA and 18 vessels for NYC Ferry in New York. These…

20 Jun 2018

AAM, Puget Sound Express Launch the 'Saratoga'

All American Marine, Inc. and the Hanke family of Puget Sound Express announced the launch of the Saratoga, the newest member of the PSE whale watching fleet. The 73-foot, high speed aluminum catamaran vessel was designed by Nic De Waal of Teknicraft Design in Auckland, New Zealand and built by All American Marine in Bellingham, WA. The Saratoga was the second vessel to be completed and launched from All American Marine’s new state of the art facility on Bellingham Bay. “This is a very special event for Puget Sound Express,” said co-owner Peter Hanke. “The Saratoga is the first boat that we have had the opportunity to build, and we designed it with customers, whales, and the environment in mind.

27 Feb 2018

MBTA Welcomes New Addition to Boston Ferry Fleet

As part of a continued effort to invest in Boston-area water transportation, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) recently welcomed a new high-speed catamaran ferry, Champion to its fleet with support from STV, a leading engineering, architectural, planning, and construction management firm. Champion is the first new passenger ferry vessel procured by the MBTA. It was also the first new water-borne vessel procurement supported by STV, which has a long-standing history of providing procurement support services for rail and bus vehicles to the MBTA and other transportation agencies throughout North America. The new ferry will provide service between Hingham, Hull, Logan Airport and downtown Boston.

25 Oct 2017

New Ferry Marks a Milestone for Incat Crowther

The latest passenger ferry constructed by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding for Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority signals a milestone delivery for marine design firm Incat Crowther. The 27-meter catamaran Champion marks the 500th vessel designed by Incat Crowther. “To have successfully designed 500 large commercial vessels is no accident,” said Incat Crowther CEO, Brett Crowther. Crowther added, “It’s apt that our 500th vessel is a Gladding-Hearn build. Peter Duclos, Director of Business Development at Gladding Hearn, said, “Gladding Hearn’s philosophy is to build commercial vessels that make our customers successful. Incat Crowther said Champion’s design is optimized for bow loading, with double-width gates and doors.

12 Oct 2017

Can Employers Ask About Prescription Drug Use?

© Feng Yu / Adobe Stock

On the waterfront, it all depends. It is well established that workplace safety and productivity can be compromised, not just by the use of illicit substances and alcohol, but also by the use of prescription drugs. Federal law, however, imposes limits on employer inquiries in this area both with respect to the affected job classifications and the scope of the inquiry. Generally, an employer may not ask all employees what prescription medications they are taking because such an inquiry is not job-related and consistent with business necessity, according to Enforcement Guidance from the U.S.