Marine Link
Thursday, March 28, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Westar News

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.

27 Jun 2022

Moose Boats Delivers New Catamaran to Westar Marine Services

Madison Lynne (Photo: Moose Boats)

California boatbuilder Moose Boats announced the delivery of its latest project, a 75-foot crew and cargo transfer vessel to San Francisco based Westar Marine Services.Moose Boats' biggest project to date, the catamaran will be used in the San Francisco Bay for passenger and cargo transfers. With a carrying capacity of more than 15,000 pounds of cargo and a passenger capacity of 28, the boat, christened the Madison Lynne, is an Incat Crowther designed USCG Subchapter T vessel.A…

17 Apr 2019

BOATBUILDING: What’s in Your Workboat?

Moose Boats rises to the challenge of building its biggest vessel ever. That’s an important step forward for this growing California shipyard. Equally impressive is what’s inside that rapidly developing hull and why those features were chosen.The U.S. boatbuilding scene is a changing landscape of waterfront manufacturing that constantly evolves to meet the inevitable peaks and valleys of demand. Nowhere is that reality more apparent than at California-based Moose Boats. In October 2016, Lind Marine announced the acquisition of Moose Boats. That move was important because Lind Marine operated a 5-acre shipyard including a 430 foot dry-dock and 1,600 feet of linear pier on Mare Island in Vallejo, CA.

03 Dec 2018

Moose to the Rescue

This West Coast boat builder stays busy creating high quality fireboats for a diverse set of demanding, multi-missioned first responders. For Moose customer satisfaction is the name of the game. This year, they’ve got that box checked.Vallejo,CA-based Moose Boats builds aluminum catamaran and monohull vessels designed to meet a variety of mission-specific applications for military, law enforcement, emergency response, firefighting and security patrol purposes. It’s been a busy year for Moose, who also recently laid the keel for a 75’ catamaran crew boat for Westar Marine Services in San Francisco. But, it is fireboats that this builder is known for. And, at present, it would not be an exaggeration to say that fireboats are ‘hot’ for Moose Boats.

11 Jul 2017

MobileOps Inks Deal with Westar Marine Services

Image: MobileOps

MobileOps, Inc. said it has signed a deal with Westar Marine Services, a tug and barge operator headquartered in San Fransisco with operations in Seattle and all along the West Coast. Westar will utilize the MobileOps Platform across its fleet of tugs and crew boats to further bolster its safety, quality and maintenance initiatives. The MobileOps Platform is a cloud-based subscription solution that includes both a Web Application and an offline-capable iPad application called Voyager.

10 Mar 2017

Moose Boats Bags Order from Westar Marine

Image: Moose Boats

San Francisco Bay boat designer and manufacturer Moose Boats said it has been awarded a contract to construct multiple 75-foot semi-displacement USCG Subchapter-T passenger catamarans for Westar Marine Services in San Francisco, Calif. The first vessel will commence production in the spring of 2017. The aluminum catamarans will be equipped with Twin Volvo D13 turbo diesel engines with Volvo IPS3 drives, achieving a service speed of 25 knots and exceptional close quarters maneuverability.

27 Jun 2010

Navigating Obstacles: Short Sea Shipping

The Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry (Photo courtesy Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry)

Short-sea shipping, also referred to as the “Marine Highway” and, in some cases, “coastal shipping,” is the subject of more studies than we can list. Whatever the label, the concept refers to an initiative to get freight off our roadways, which are at capacity, and onto our waterways, which have to yet to be tapped to their potential. More than likely you’ve heard about the promises of this mode of transport, including reduced highway congestion, reduced consumption of fuel and fewer emissions per unit shipped. So what’s the hold up?

08 Jan 2009

Historical Ship Restorations, Alameda Shipyard

A $1m plus contract was recently awarded by the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park to Bay Ship & Yacht Co. of Alameda for the restoration of the historic three-masted, steel-hulled, square-rigged sailing ship, Balclutha. Known locally as the National Maritime Museum, the park is operated by the National Park Service. Fred Shepherd, facility coordinator for the park, which is located adjacent to San Francisco's Fishermen's Wharf, points out that the ship is a star attraction at the park, which has almost 1 million visitors per year.

25 Sep 2008

Westar Chooses Cummins Tier 2

With a diverse fleet of 18 tugs, eight water taxis and 20 barges; 's Westar Marine Services is one of 's premier construction support companies. Their tug fleet will be 50% Cummins-powered when their good-looking boat Taurus goes back in service. While the fleet includes a range of Cummins engines from 14 to 38 liter models, the current repower will install a pair of Tier 2 compliant Cummins QSK19M engines for a total of 1320 hp at 1,800 rpm.The Taurus is 75 x 24-ft. model bow tug that is kept busy on a variety of jobs around and offshore the west coast. Not only will the repower extend the service life of the vessel it will significantly reduce emissions.

09 Jul 2001

Editor's Note

Considering the over abundance of conferences and exhibitions that grace the marine industry’s business calendar, I am pleased to report on the activities of the Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP), which most recently met on the scenic campus of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. SOCP — which is a business/government partnership — provides a fresh dialogue among industry players with discussions focused on real-world issues and solutions. June’s meeting featured a number of topics, from alternative fuel technologies to a ferry operator panel, which discussed regulation, training, safety and technology. A more extensive account of the meeting will be found in MR/EN’s August edition, U.S. Report.

09 Jul 2001

Repowering and Niche Marketing at Westar

Fireworks exploded over the Bay Bridge and thousands of people crowding the waterfront near the new ballpark gasped in admiration. Some of the best seats for the spectacle are along the north side of Pier 50, home of Westar Marine Services where owner's and employees share a barbecue in honor of the annual display sponsored by a local radio station. But the folks at Westar are more than passive observers, the tugs that are managing the fireworks barges are contracted from Westar. This annual fireworks event sums up Westar Marine Services' role on San Francisco Bay. They are the company that takes on all of the niche jobs that others with their large investments in big horsepower and Z-drives can't afford to be doing.

29 Jul 1999

San Francisco: Rapid Repower for Westar's Wildcat

San Francisco Bay, with its huge area and several ports, could more rightly be called an inland sea. Small harbors like Vallejo, major container ports like Oakland and several great bridges combine to create an immense demand for marine construction and repair. Moving a lot of that construction equipment around the Bay is an important part of the work of Port of San Francisco-based Westar Marine Services. In business since 1976, Westar has a fleet of six barges, four water taxis and nine tugs up to 3,000 hp. As a part of their fleet maintenance program the company recently purchased a pair of Cummins N14-M marine engines rated at 440 hp to repower their 56 x 14.5-ft. tug Wildcat. They had added five ft. to the boat's stern and a pair of kort nozzles with new 48-in.