Page 32: of Marine News Magazine (February 2023)

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Feature

Passenger Vessels

Renewed government funding for infrastructure, which Hole Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Au- includes the realm of terminals and access projects, will thority ($3.5 million), the Virginia Department of Trans- greatly bene? t the ferry sector. The U.S. Department of portation ($3.3 million), North Carolina Department of

Transportation’s Federal Highway Authority (FHA) an- Transportation’s Ferry Division ($3.1 million), the Grand nounced more than $172 million in funding- for 115 Portage-Isle Royale Transportation Line, Inc. ($3.1 million), projects, in Fiscal 2022, under its multi-year Ferry Boat which serves Minnesota’s Lake Superior region, and the

Program. The largest awards went to Washington State Louisiana Department of Transportation ($3 million). The

Ferries ($38.3 million), and Alaska Marine Highway Sys- Gulf Island yard, in Houma, La. is also completing a pair tem ($35.6 million), the Texas Department of Transporta- of 300 passenger, 40-vehicle ferries, Salvo and Avon for the tion ($12.4 million) and New York City’s DOT-garnering North Carolina DOT, based on an EBDG design, which $10.5 million. In other large awards, New Jersey’s Statue will operate between Hatteras and Ocracoke. They are pow-

Cruises saw a $5.8 million award, while New York Wa- ered by Caterpillar engines tied to Schottel Z-drives. Also terway gained a $2.9 million award. The Texas DOT will in the Carolinas, the U.S. Watercraft Yard, on the North be taking delivery in 2023 of the The Shearer Group-de- Carolina coast, delivered the 129-passenger catamaran style signed Esperanza “Hope” Andrade, a double ended vessel Ocracoke Express, to the state’s DOT, during 2022. with a capacity of 495 passengers, and 70 vehicles. The Louisiana is set to launch a new ferry service with the boat, being built at the Gulf Island Fabricators facility in help of nearly $41 million in low-interest loans from the

Louisiana, with batteries (a Siemens MWhr energy storage DOT. Two new EBDG-designed 190-foot ferries will system) to supplement its diesel electric powerplant, will be built by Houma, La. based Thoma-Sea Marine Con- operate between Galveston and Bolivar Island, Texas. structors for estimated completion in mid-2025, replac-

Other 2022 recipients of FHA largesse included Woods ing the Cameron II, which was built in 1964. The two

Casco Bay Line selected the Senesco to build a double ended hybrid electric ferry to replace an existing diesel boat.

EBDG 32 | MN February 2023