Page 34: of Marine News Magazine (February 2023)

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Feature

Passenger Vessels set for 2024, its delivery will follow two ships in the series, with a yard in Warren, R.I.- no stranger to the passenger

American Eagle and American Glory- both scheduled for sector. A CTV operator with ties to passenger ferry com- inaugural voyages along the U.S. East Coast in 2023. The panies serving Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Atlantic catamaran vessels, designed for 110 passengers (with the Wind Transfer, has contracted to build a series of alumi- company targeting to build a dozen) are described as “a num catamarans (using a design from Chartwell utilized ? eet of go-anywhere ships for the U.S. market”, with ver- in European operations) at St. John Shipyard, in Palatka, satility that will enable them to “run almost anywhere.” Fla. – now under ownership of entities linked to Greece’s

Viking Cruise Lines’ 386 passenger Viking Mississippi, de- Logothetis family. The boats will deploy Tier 4 compliant livered in 2022 from Edison Chouest’s LaShip shipyard in engines, from MAN. Three more Incat Crowther-designed

Houma, La., is now active on its namesake river, “[break- CTVs are being built for WINDEA CTV—a joint ven- ing] away from the tradition of Mississippi paddlewheel- ture between MidOcean Win, Hornblower Group and ers by featuring the line’s trademark Scandinavian design Ems Maritime Offshore—including two at St Johns Ship elements,” in Viking’s words. Building and another at Gulf Craft in Louisiana.

The burgeoning offshore wind activities, initially in the The path toward the future, where the passenger sec-

New England and mid-Atlantic states, is creating demand tor will be looking closely at fueling options, is far from for crew transfer vessels (CTV), a cousin, of sorts, to pas- straightforward. Consider Cape May Lewes Ferry, operat- senger craft. Gladding Hearn Shipbuilding, in Somerset, ing passenger/car ferries across Delaware Bay. One of its

Mass, a yard with a lengthy history of building ferries, was boats, New Jersey, saw its 1970s era Fairbanks Morse en- contracted to build an aluminum CTV, based on an Incat gines replaced with Tier 3 compliant power from EMD, in

Crowther catamaran design, for Patriot Offshore Maritime 2020, with work performed at Caddell Dry Dock in Stat-

Services LLC – a new entrant to the wind sector. Vine- en Island, N.Y. Ultimately, the three-vessel ? eet will need yard Wind, which the boat will serve, has also signed a to be replaced. The ferry operator has engaged EBDG to contract with a different operator- American Offshore Ser- develop a master plan that will look at issues including ves- vices, for another CTV that will be built by Blount Boats, sel economics, alternative fuels availability, and physical re-

CTVs, like this one being built for Blount

Boats for American Offshore Services, are a cousin, of sorts, to passenger craft.

AOS 34 | MN February 2023