Page 35: of Marine News Magazine (September 2025)

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Feature

Passenger Ferries erry building continues to boom in and around the commercial sector. the U.S., and today the splash of new vessels The Chesapeake yard, owned by the same interests as increasingly comes with innovative new hybrid ACL, is also well known for constructing commercial boats. and pure electric propulsion systems. On July 4, Most recently it completed a series of four “Salisbury Class”

F 2025, American Cruise Lines’ (ACL) AMERI- 3,000 hp tugs for the Baltimore-based Vane Brothers. While

CAN PATRIOT was christened, its latest newbuild and the Viking vessel relies on diesel electric propulsion, Edison the ? rst of six Patriot Class ships being built at its Salis- Chouest recently delivered a hybrid powered offshore ser- bury, Md. Facilities of Chesapeake Shipbuilding. The vice vessel presently serving in the Northeast, most recently 130-passenger vessel is designed for cruising coastal waters; at the Orsted/Eversource Revolution Wind project (This is its ? rst itinerary saw it calling coastwise at ports in New the project that, with construction more than 75% com-

England. With number one in the water and working, the plete off the Rhode Island coast, that was cancelled in late subsequent deliveries of the ? ve additional sisterships will August 2025 by the Trump Administration). continue through 2027. ACL, with headquarters in coastal While the coastal and river cruising segments are a grow-

Connecticut where the business began with river cruising, ing niche with stylish appeal, much of the waterborne U.S. now has a ? eet of nearly two dozen vessels designed for riv- passenger transport is of the much more mundane variety, er and coastal trades. With shore powering infrastructure broadly described as passenger/vehicle ferries. In recent years, coming to more ports, ACL reminds potential customers fuel ef? ciency and reduced emissions have been a concern of that: “American Cruise Lines ships are ready to ‘plug in’ to vessel operator on all coasts. In late June, the Washington any port with shoreside electrical infrastructure. New ships State Ferries (WSF) ferry WENATCHEE (2,500 passen- are built shore power ready and all other ships are retro? t gers, 200 vehicles) came back into service on the Seattle to ready as shoreside infrastructure becomes available.” Bainbridge run across Elliott Bay, following conversion to

The larger, 386-passenger VIKING MISSISSIPPI was hybrid electric propulsion at the Vigor Marine yard in Seat- built at an Edison Chouest yard, and this vessel is tied to tle. Initially, WSF had contracted with the yard to also con- the well-known European river cruising specialist, which vert two sister vessels TACOMA and PUYALLUP, however also operates smaller oceangoing vessels. It has been offering major delays and cost over-runs led to a pause on conversion trips around the inland river system since 2022, and in a of the other boats. In the WENATCHEE conversion, two quirky twist for passenger ships on the rivers, with occasional of four diesel generators were removed, and energy storage switches in itineraries due to shifting water levels. The cost and charging equipment was then installed, along with new of the vessel, owned by an Edison Chouest af? liate in a com- switching and wiring infrastructure. (As Marine News went plicated ownership structure enabling compliance with the to press WSF announced that sea trials on WENATCHEE

Passenger Services Act, was said to be around $100 million. had gotten off to a bad start, reporting “investigation by our

U.S. shipyards building passenger ships are also active in technicians and engine crew discovered last week the control sys-

Washington State Ferries The 2025 newbuild American

WENATCHEE dockside at Patriot, cruising New

Vigor Shipyard. England waters.

WSDOT American Cruise Lines www.marinelink.com MN 35|