Page 30: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2001)

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Cummins KTA 38 diesel engines, while the new 45 m boat, scheduled for deliv- ery earlier this summer, is powered by four Caterpillar 3512 engines. At the time of the meeting, Nolan said another order for a new vessel was imminent.

Nolan saw an immediate impact on the company's whale watching excur- sions, as the faster vessels helped to cut a five hour trip to only three hours.

About a dozen U.S. shipbuilders offer newbuilds larger than 150 passengers, of which two (Gladding Hearn and

Nichols Brothers with Incat) have together already built 55 units. Austal, with its extensive Australian-based trade record of 50+ vessels, has just opened on the U.S. Gulf Coast and is building one 82 ft. (25 m) spec vessel.

Two yards have built four to five boats (Derecktor with Nigel Gee and

Dakota Creek with AMD), and the oth- ers offering larger fast ferry newbuilds have built one or none.

Several smaller U.S. yards have built vessels capable of carrying less than 150 passengers, with the most prodi- gious being SeaArk (more than four dozen with typical 49-passenger capac- ity), Westport (many excellent 149 pas- senger GRP monohulls) and Kvichak (with Crowther and several aluminum 149 passenger catamarans).

U.S. yards are currently building about 10 all-passenger, 150-passenger capacity fast ferries at a gross contract value of about $60 million. This will change rapidly and dramatically. The largest current U.S. all-passenger end is quite similar to its international fast ferry complement: e.g. Nichols/Incat 37-knot, 400-450 passenger floating house with four engines and full ride control system (RCS), costing about $8 million. The State of Alaska Marine

Highway System last year put out to tender for a fast vehicle/passenger ferry capable of about 450 mt dwt capacity (configured for 15 heavy trucks, 60 light vehicles and 300 passengers) for a 37-knot calm water service passage and full RCS.

U.S. annual fast ferry newbuild con- tracted production volume by 2004 should be around the $250 million level, a level, which is likely to grow by $50 million or so annually thereafter.

Increased demand will come from pub- lic or quasi-public local and metropoli- tan transit authorities, private operators, export buyers and the U.S. military.

Tapping into the vast potential of U.S. military applications was, in fact, a pri- mary driver which brought Australian vessel builders Austal and Incat physi- cally to U.S. shores last year, in arrangements with Bender and

Bollinger, respectively. 28 www.maritimereporterinfo.com Maritime Reporter & Engineering News