Page 37: of Marine News Magazine (September 2016)

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SHORTSEA SHIPPING

Co Founders (L) Harley Franco (R) Greg Bombard courtesy of Larry Duncan new freight service began op- (SCIC) CEO. “It’s worked incredibly air quality-compliant, and the type of eration in southern Califor- well. I’m sure they put a lot of effort equipment that we brought in is more

A nia this past April. For the into planning it out.” ef? cient and effective and our new businesses and residents of Catalina Custom-designed vessels have been warehouse is more secure and more

Island who depend on freight from built, and a new style of self-propelled state of the art.” the mainland, this new service aims Landing Craft named the Catalina Catalina Provider is able to land to provide the safest, fastest, quietest, Provider, which meets EPA Tier 3 without adverse environmental im- most ef? cient, eco-friendly and state- emission standards, allows for trans- pact on any beach on the Island, to of-the-art freight transportation in the portation of freight or evacuation of deliver anything from camp supplies island’s history. Customers will also residents. In addition to Provider, the to ? re engines. A new Ramp Barge bene? t from the use of unique and in- ? eet currently includes one tug – the capable of landing at any beach with novative tonnage built speci? cally for Lucy Franco – and two deck barges. its 40-foot-long ramp, is ? tted with this niche trade. In doing so, Avalon Rebuilt at Diversi? ed, the tug also a 90,000 gallon tank to transport

Freight Services is rede? ning the con- had its engines upgraded to Caterpil- potable water. The Ramp Barge will cept of short sea shipping. lar Tier 3 units. work with the reliable and completely “We’re giving Catalina a serious up- upgraded 69-foot x 26-foot tug Lucy

Deep Roots, Careful Planning grade on the freight business they’ve Franco – purchased from Harley Ma-

Avalon Freight Services (AFS) is a had over the last 50 years,” says Har- rine speci? cally for the new service unique partnership of Seattle-based ley Franco, CEO of Harley Marine – boasting 1,500 horsepower and ret-

Harley Franco of Harley Marine and Services, Inc., and AFS co-founder. ro? tted engines that meet Tier 3 emis-

Greg and Tim Bombard of LA-based “Everything is Tier 3, fuel-ef? cient, sions standards.

Catalina Express. For nearly a century, three generations of the Bombard fam- ily have been welcoming Catalina Is- land visitors on board their boats, and now the new, totally green freight ser- vice will take the well-known company into a new realm of expanded service. “My family has actually been on

Catalina Island since 1919,” says Greg

Bombard, president and co-founder.

The Bombard family have operated the well-known Catalina Express pas- senger service to Catalina Island for 35 years. Catalina Island is about 24 miles off the coast.

The new AFS mainland facility at

Berth 95 in San Pedro at the Port of

Los Angeles, boasts a new 7,500-foot warehouse and of? ce facility right next to the Catalina Express terminal, which allows for customers to conve- niently drop off freight and board one of the Catalina Express vessels to make the island trip. “The facility also pro- vides consolidating freight for larger customers like us,” says Randy Her- rel, Santa Catalina Island Company’s www.marinelink.com MN 37

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