FERRIES AND EXCURSION
The Maine State Ferry Service has added a new vehicle ferry to its fleet that honors a member of the Penobscot Nation who served as a combat medic on the beaches of Normandy during World War II.
The 104-foot-by-28-foot Charles Norman Shay arrived in Rockland, Maine, in June 2024 following delivery from Steiner Shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Ala. Gilbert Associates of Braintree, Mass., designed the ferry, which can hold seven passenger cars or one semi-truck and up to 149 passengers.
As of Aug. 1, the ferry had not yet entered service. When it does, it will operate on a lonely 23-mile route between Rockland and Matinicus Isle, which has only about 50 year-round residents. The 135-minute voyage is currently served by the 64-year-old ferry Everett Libby, which makes just one trip a month from December through February and no more than four round trips in any month. The ferry’s stays on the remote island typically last no more than an hour before returning to the mainland.
Charles Norman Shay is powered by two 600-hp Caterpillar C18 engines paired with Twin Disc gears. It is equipped with an 85-hp Veth VT-50 bow thruster to assist with close-quarters maneuvering around the dock in Matinicus Harbor. Naval architect John Gilbert said the ferry features an efficient hull form below the waterline and a relatively straightforward design above deck to maximize space and utility.
The passenger cabin is outfitted with Freedman Seating Co. seats rather than steel benches found on several earlier Maine state ferries. Outdoor seating is available on the second deck on the starboard side for warmer passages.
The new ferry honors Charles Shay, a tribal elder in the Penobscot Nation in Maine who served as a World War II combat medic on the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944. Shay rescued wounded soldiers and men at risk of drowning, according to a profile by the Penobscot Nation, which said he earned a Silver Star. He also served with valor in the Korean War and later worked for the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
Maine State Ferry officials expect to commission the vessel in late summer 2024 and then put it into service soon afterward. The Shay ferry is one of three the service ordered in recent years. Capt. Richard G. Spear entered service in 2022, and the forthcoming hybrid-electric Capt. Almer Dinsmore is under construction at Senesco Marine in Rhode Island.
Chesapeake Shipbuilding delivers third ship in ‘Project Blue’ series
In July, American Cruise Lines announced that it had taken delivery of the 100-passenger small cruise ship American Liberty from Chesapeake Shipbuilding of Salisbury, Md. The vessel is the third of the company’s new Coastal Cat series to enter service.
According to the U.S.-flagged cruise operator, American Liberty is the newest ship in the company’s ongoing Project Blue series of small ships for river and coastal cruising in American waters. More ships in the series are already under construction, including the fourth Coastal Cat, American Legend, which the company expects will begin cruising in November 2024.
All American delivers 50-foot catamaran to Hawaii operator
In Greek mythology, Poseidon lords over the ocean as god of the sea and storms. A new tour boat delivered by All American Marine aims to keep passengers comfortable no matter the conditions.
The 50-by-17-foot Poseidon features an efficient hull form developed by Nic de Waal of Teknicraft Design, based in New Zealand. The Bellingham, Wash., shipyard delivered the vessel around Labor Day in 2023 for Hawaii Dolphin Tours, which uses the vessel for snorkeling and other excursions.
The 70-passenger vessel is certified to U.S. Coast Guard Subchapter T standards. It is powered by two Cummins QSB 6.7 engines each rated for 355 hp that drive fixed-pitch propellers.
Brix Marine delivers 48-foot catamaran for whale watch excursions
Allen Marine Whale Watching Tours has added a new 48-by-18-foot aluminum catamaran to its fleet operating from Sitka, Alaska. Brix Marine of Port Angeles, Wash., delivered the 49-passenger Eagle in late 2023.
The vessel is powered by four 350-hp Suzuki outboard engines. Guests can get comfortable on Eagle’s enclosed main deck in Freedman Glitz seating or head up to the exposed second deck during Alaska’s long summer days.
On the horizon
Conrad Shipyard in Louisiana received an order from the Puerto Rico Maritime Transit Authority to build four passenger and cargo ferries that will operate between Ceiba and the islands of Vieques and Culebra. The first delivery is scheduled for late 2024.
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The Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) has partnered with Wartsila to develop and design the propulsion system on a series of all-electric ferries that will operate in San Francisco Bay. The service expects to choose a shipyard in late 2024 and potentially begin running the new vessels as soon as late 2026.
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Gulf Craft in Louisiana is building a 104-foot aluminum catamaran ferry for the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Incat Crowther-designed vessel will have space for 300 passengers and propulsion that includes EPA Tier 4-rated engines. Its top speed will exceed 28 knots during voyages between the islands of St. Thomas and St. John.
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Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding announced a contract to build a 300-passenger catamaran ferry that will carry passengers between Key West and Dry Tortugas National Park off of Florida. The 112-foot ferry designed by Incat Crowther will have 2,000-hp MTU Tier 4 engines. Delivery is planned for 2026.
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As of press time, Eastern Shipbuilding was close to delivering the 302-foot steel-hulled vehicle ferry Long Island for the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Co., a subsidiary of McAllister Towing. The vessel will be powered by Tier 4 engines during transit between Bridgeport, Conn., and Port Jefferson, N.Y. •