Page 14: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (July 2004)

News

The Pacific Whale Foundation's 65 x 28-ft. aluminum Ocean Voyager was built by

Kvichak Marine and can comfortably carry up to 150 passengers. responsibilities.

Like other commercial dive vessels, the Ocean Voyager doesn't anchor in order to avoid damage to the sensitive reefs. A number of mooring have been carefully set out and it was to one of these that the catamaran was made fast as the crew began handing out equip- ment. To put this many snorkelers into the water in a reasonable period of time is no small undertaking, but the crew handles it with calm professionalism.

Central to the operation are transom- mounted four-foot wide twin stairs leading down to port and starboard swim grids from which a ladder takes one into the water. A pair of life guards on light kayaks are in the water watch- ing over the flock of bright snorkels and their attached swimmers.

With a little luck the swimmers will see a four-foot green sea turtle while underwater. Failing that they are virtu- ally guaranteed an opportunity to see them from the boat at some point on the trip. Given the boats wide beam, the construction of the aft swim grid includes space for a pair of big stainless steel barbeques. On these the crew grills hamburger and chicken breast that is ready to serve in buns when the swim- mers return tired and elated from the swim.

With the swimming gear returned for cleaning, the moorings released and the swimmers fed, Capt. Bergmeyer pushed the controls forward and the Ocean

Voyager heads back to port clipping smoothly through a growing chop with another load of satisfied customers. The year round efficiency of is remarkable.

Since 1980 the boats of the Pacific

Whale Foundation have taken nearly two million guest from around the world for an ocean voyage and a greater appreciation of the marine life of

Hawaii.

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Lake Express Vessel

Enters Service

The new Austal Auto Express 58 cata- maran Lake Express entered service on

June 1. Operating between Milwaukee,

Wis., and Muskegon. Mich.. Lake

Express provides a crossing time of 2.5 hours, slicing in half the time it would take to drive around the southern tip of the lake, through a congested Chicago.

Launched on March 20, Lake Express is the seventh vessel launched at Austal's

U.S. shipyard and is the largest built at that facility to date.

The vehicle deck can carry 46 cars.

Catering for the size of cars found on roads today, the vehicle lanes are larger than normal with bay sizes of 17.7 ft..

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