$120M NYC Ferry Deal Goes To Manitowoc Marine Group

A hotly contested contract to build three Kennedy Class ferries for the City of New York was last month awarded to Manitowoc Marine Group for $120 million.

Given the recent terrorist attacks that brought down the World Trade Centers and the revived New York waterway as a result, the contracts are particularly high-profile. The new Kennedy-class ferries will be 310 x 70 ft (94.4 x 21.3 m), and are capable of transporting 4.400 passengers and 30 vehicles, and will replace three existing ferries built in 1965. They will provide year-round transportation service between Staten Island and Manhattan. The ferries will feature twin pilot houses plus state-ofthe- art navigation and propulsion systems.

"This contract is an excellent example of the solid growth opportunities afforded us by our strategic acquisition program in general, and more specifically, last year's acquisition of Marinette Marine," said Terry D.

Growcock. Manitowoc's president and CEO. "It also continues our success in extending the reach of our shipyards beyond their traditional Great Lakes markets." Tom Byrne, president of Manitowoc Marine Group, added: "We expect to build the ferries at Marinette Marine, with the first ferry scheduled for delivery in fall of 2003. The ferries will feature "old world" nautical aesthetics that are reminiscent of the ferries that plied New York's harbors decades ago. Material procurement and basic hull fabrication work for the first ferry will soon begin at Marinette Marine.

In addition, Manitowoc received a contract from Great Lakes Dredge & Dock to build a 7,l00-cu.-yd. dump scow. Work on the 7,100-cu.-yd., splithull dump scow, which will be built by Bay Shipbuilding, is expected to begin later this fall. The 63 x 277-ft. (19.2 x 84.4 m) dump scow will be constructed and ABS-certified for ocean-class service and is similar to two dump scows built by Bay Shipbuilding in 1987.

Delivery of the $4.8-million vessel is scheduled for August, 2002.

Manitowoc Tapped To Build USCG Icebreaker The Manitowoc Company, Inc. also won an $82.4-million contract to build a new Great Lakes ice breaker. The new vessel will measure approximately 240 x 60 ft. (73.1 x 18.2 m), and will displace 3,500 long tons. In addition to breaking ice to keep shipping lanes open on the Great Lakes, the multi-mission vessel will service aids to navigation, as well as performing search and rescue, pollution control, security, and law enforcement duties from its homeport of Cheboygan, Mich. The vessel will be built at the company's Marinette Marine shipyard, and is expected to take more than three years to build. The new ice breaker, which will be delivered in 2005, replaces the Mackinaw, a 290-ft.

(88.3 m) Coast Guard cutter that was built in 1944.