HS 0318-WZ

Schiffstechnik | Ship Technology
Italian shipbuilding giant Fincantieri has subsidiaries in the U.S., too
Passenger and Patrol
Throughout 2017, the passenger segment,
and in particular high speed ferries, has
seen a surge in activity. New York City
has aggressively jump-started a ferry program,
which complements the offerings
of numerous private operators. Aluminum
hulled catamarans were delivered
from two facilities of Alabama-based
Horizon Shipbuilding, which delivered
10 vessels. However, subsequently it
slid into financial difficulties due to the
tough contract terms and expedited delivery
schedules. An additional six vessels
were delivered during 2017 from another
yard – Metal Shark– with quality
issues emerging – likely also tied to the
aggressive delivery schedule demanded
by New York City. The success of the
New York City ferry service has seen vessel
sizes increased, with three boats (out
of four additional vessels still to be constructed
by Metal Shark) up-sized from
150 to 350 passenger capacity.
trawlers, is building three 445 passenger
Tier 4 boats capable of 34 knot speeds for
WETA. Vigor is also building a quartet
of RoPax ferries (1,500 pax/144 cars) for
a major operator in its backyard: Washington
State Ferries. Three are already in
service and one additional vessel is still
to be delivered in 2018.
A whole host of yards specialize in
building smaller vessels. Besides its work
with New York City, the Horizon yard has
also been a mainstay in the tugboat business,
building a handful of vessels for New
York stalwart McAllister Towing. In the
Delmarva region southeast of Washington
DC, Chesapeake Bay Shipbuilding has
delivered 16 ocean going tugboats to Vane
Brothers, one of the largest movers of refined
products on the U.S. East Coast, and
Photo: Fincantieri
recently secured a four ship order from the
Baltimore based owner to construct four
pusher tugs. The yard has a close relationship
with American Cruise Lines, building
several ocean going cruise vessels.
The successes of Metal Shark highlights
another important marketplace:
fast patrol boats for the military and for
law enforcement. Its customers also include
the USCG. On the West Coast, in
Bellingham, Washington, All American
Marine is a specialist in aluminum
boats, encompassing ferries, crewboats,
and patrol boats; its current construction
includes two water-taxies, with capacity
for 278 passengers, for the Seattle area.
The well-known Gladding Hearn yard,
in Somerset, Massachusetts, has seen recent
orders for boats from numerous pilotage
organizations throughout the U.S.
ranging from Homer, Alaska (Southwest
Alaska Pilots), Port Huron, Michigan
(Lake Pilots) to the Mississippi Delta
(Associated Branch Pilots). This yard has
also delivered a slew of passenger ferries
(capacity 600) for clients including Circle
Line (known for its boats circling Manhattan,
in New York), and a series of high
speed catamarans, with 493 passenger
capacity, that will operate around Cape
Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
One up and coming segment features
a new market segment: offshore wind installations.
Another New England yard,
Blount Boats, at the upper end of Narragansett
Bay, Rhode Island, delivered an
aluminum hulled catamaran which will
ferry equipment, crews (but also tourists)
between the shore and the »Deepwater
Wind« project offshore near Block
Island.
M
West Coast
On the U.S. West Coast, the San Francisco
Bay area has also seen rapid expansion
of its Water Emergency Transportation
Authority (WETA) ferry network.
Most recently, it has ordered six vessels
each with 400 passenger capacity, and capable
of 27 kn speeds. Four of these will
be built at facilities of the Vigor yards, a
network of facilities throughout the Pacific
Northwest. Another yard in the region,
Dakota Creek Industries, which is
well known for its construction of fishing
ATB constructed for Kirby Corporation at Bay Shipbuilding
Photo: Bay Shipbuilding
50 HANSA International Maritime Journal – 155. Jahrgang – 2018 – Nr. 3