Page 31: of Marine News Magazine (February 2023)

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Feature

Passenger Vessels ith travel and tourism nearing pre-2020 vided by ABS Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) Tier 4 engines levels, and transit systems bene? ting from powering Voith Schneider propellers, at each end of the a return to work, passenger vessels have vessel. In January, 2023, steel was cut at the Allanton yard

W seen renewed activity. In its year-end re- for a new 302-foot passenger/vehicle ferry for Bridgeport view, John Groundwater, Executive Director of the Pas- & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company, designed by Gilbert senger Vessel Association (PVA), which advocates for the Associated and fashioned along the lines of the existing sector in Washington, D.C. wrote: “As we are nearing the vessels P.T. Barnum and Grand Republic. end of the calendar year, we are delighted to report that our New York Waterway, which runs passenger craft around industry, and our members, are reporting far and wide that the harbor, has also taken delivery of four boats, each with they have experienced very positive business conditions 509 passenger capacity (with one more under construction during 2022.” The broader industry-wide trend toward following the 2022 delivery of Arthur Imperatore, named cleaner fuels has impacted design of new vessels, as has the for the company’s founder), from Yank Marine, which has increased movement towards digitalization and more auto- yards in southern New Jersey. The aluminum catamaran mated operations. style ferries are powered by twin Cummins 2300 hp en-

Along the East Coast, Casco Bay Line (serving islands in gines and ZF transmissions. Nearby operator Seastreak, coastal Maine, out of Portland) selected the Senesco yard linking midtown and downtown New York with the Jersey (North Kingstown, Rhode Island) for construction of a Shore (and New England destinations during the summer double ended hybrid electric ferry to replace an existing months), began operating its high speed 750 passenger diesel boat. According to naval architects Elliott Bay De- newbuild Seastreak Courageous (an Incat Crowther alu- sign Group (EBDG), the boat- with delivery anticipated in minum catamaran design, built by Midship in Harvey, La. late 2024, “features ABB Marine & Ports’ hybrid propul- at a cost around $18 million) in early 2022. Also slated sion system supporting diesel-electric and zero-emissions to come online is NYC is a new zero-emissions electric battery-powered modes, as well as a combination of both.” high-speed ferry scheduled for launch in 2024, featuring

The speci? cations also call for a FerryCHARGER shore BAE Systems driveline, Echandia power management, charging system, from A Stemmann Technik, to be pro- Toshiba batteries and HamiltonJet waterjets. The Carbon- vided by ABB that will enable rapid charging during turn- ? ber, foil-assisted Teknicraft design vessel is the result of a arounds in Portland. The new boat, which will operate partnership between local operator New York Cruise Lines between Portland and nearby Peaks Island, will be able to and Stockholm-based Green City Ferries AB (GCF) and transport up to 599 passengers, and 15 vehicles. will be operated by New York Cruise Lines subsidiary New

In New York harbor, the Staten Island Ferry (operated York Water Taxi on the Hudson River between Brooklyn by the city’s Department of Transportation) saw the com- and Manhattan. A builder has yet to be announced.

missioning of its third newbuild, Dorothy Day, in late 2022, joining SSG Michael H. Ollis, and Sandy Ground,

Arthur Imperatore was delivered to NY Waterway from Yank Marine in 2022. which joined the ? eet earlier in the year. The vessels, each with 4,500 passenger capacity, were constructed at East- ern Shipbuilding’s yards in Allanton and Port St. Joe, in the Florida Panhandle. According to a New York City re- lease, “The new ferries are larger, more modern, and safer in extreme weather than earlier ? eets. They feature popu- lar design elements of past Staten Island Ferries, including phone-charging outlets and more comfortable seating, as well as an oval upper-deck promenade that serves, for the ? rst time, as an outdoor ‘walking track’ for riders.” Their design, also dual ended, is from EBDG; propulsion is pro-

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