NASSCO delivers latest ECO-class tanker to APT
General Dynamics NASSCO has delivered the ECO-class tanker Garden State to American Petroleum Tankers, the seventh delivery within 13 months for the San Diego shipyard.
The 610-foot Garden State is an LNG-conversion-ready tanker capable of carrying 330,000 barrels of product. The ECO design boasts 33 percent better fuel efficiency, a ballast water treatment system and other environmental features.
NASSCO has delivered three ECO-class tankers for APT and one for SEA-Vista LLC. Existing contracts call for four additional ECO-class tankers for the two companies.
“In the past year, NASSCO shipbuilders have delivered seven ships — or the equivalent to 100,000 tons worth of steel,” Kevin Graney, vice president and general manager for General Dynamics NASSCO, said in a prepared statement.
Within the last year, NASSCO delivered for TOTE Maritime the 764-foot Isla Bella and Perla del Caribe, the world’s first LNG-powered containerships, in addition to the tankers and a U.S. Navy vessel.
Master Marine delivers z-drive towboat St. Matthew
Master Marine Inc. of Bayou La Batre, Ala., has delivered St. Matthew, a 2,000-hp z-drive towboat, for Marquette Transportation. The 78-by-34-foot towboat designed by Entech Designs is part of an 11-boat order from Marquette, which is based in Paducah, Ky.
The vessel is powered by twin Caterpillar C32 1,000-hp engines with ZF Marine z-drives and 65-inch propellers. John Deere 4045 generators provide ship service power. The mains came from Thompson Power Systems and Kennedy Engine delivered the gensets. Other components include fendering from Schuyler Cos. and twin Patterson deck winches.
The vessel has five staterooms, three full bathrooms and one half-bath for a crew of nine. Running speed is estimated at 10 knots.
Master Marine is currently building two more of the 2,000-hp z-drive towboats for Marquette as part of the 11-boat order. They are St. Simon and St. Matthias.
Blount Boats delivers Chicago tour boat
Blount Boats of Warren, R.I., has delivered the 100-foot tour boat M/V Skyview to Shoreline Sightseeing of Chicago. The vessel designed by Seacraft Design LLC can carry up to 318 passengers.
The vessel has twin Volvo D13 MH 400-hp diesel engines with a pair of John Deere generators and ZF Marine gearboxes turning 44-inch propellers. The vessel has a recessed pilothouse to travel under low bridges in Chicago.
M/V Skyview will carry passengers on architectural tours. The boat features plenty of guest amenities, including mahogany doors, bench seating, a full-service bar and a beer cooler for 20 kegs. Men’s and women’s bathrooms are heated for colder weather, and the vessel has a 430-pound ice machine for hot summers.
With the delivery of M/V Skyview, Blount has now built two boats for Shoreline Sightseeing. The company offers tours and water taxi service around Chicago.
Chesapeake launches new cruise ship, delivers tug
Chesapeake Shipbuilding in July launched a new ship for American Cruise Lines and delivered a new oceangoing tugboat for Vane Brothers.
The cruise ship American Constellation is under construction at Chesapeake’s Salisbury, Md., yard. The vessel will carry up to 170 passengers upon delivery in early 2017 and is expected to sail from Boston to various New England ports, according to American Cruise Lines.
Construction on American Constellation is running nine weeks ahead of schedule. Work crews will now add the upper decks and complete final outfitting.
“The launching of American Constellation could not have gone any better. The team at Chesapeake Shipbuilding has done a fantastic job realizing our vision for this new cruise ship,” said Timothy Beebe, vice president of American Cruise Lines, in a prepared statement. “We are thrilled that the construction of American Constellation continues to be well ahead of schedule.”
Upon delivery, the vessel will become American Cruise Lines’ ninth ship. The cruise company is based in Guilford, Conn.
Less than two weeks after the cruise ship launched, Chesapeake Shipbuilding delivered the tug Fort McHenry to Vane Brothers. The new tug is the 12th that Chesapeake has built for the Baltimore company.
The 94-by-32-foot Fort McHenry has twin Caterpillar 3512 engines producing a combined 3,000 hp and a JonRie Intertech single-drum hydraulic winch.
Horizon delivers tugboat with retractable pilothouse
Horizon Shipbuilding of Bayou La Batre, Ala., has delivered the towboat Marty Cullinan, which features a retractable pilothouse, to Florida Marine Transporters in New Orleans.
The vessel received an ABS load line certificate to work in Lake Michigan between Chicago and Burns Harbor, Ind. The towboat has an air draft of 17 feet 8 inches to safely transit under low bridges around Chicago en route to the Great Lakes.
The 120-by-35-foot towboat features twin Caterpillar 3512 mains for a combined 4,000 hp at 1,600 rpm with Twin Disc gears. Ship service power comes from two John Deere 6090 generators.
Accommodations are for eight crewmembers on the vessel’s single deck, and FMT incorporated extensive sound-dampening components for crew comfort.
“We are thoroughly pleased with the boat, and when I talk to the Marty Cullinan crew they are quick to note that she is smooth and very quiet. The sound-dampening package has exceeded our expectations,” Jeff Brumfield, FMT’s senior manager of boat construction, said in a prepared statement.
Horizon has delivered 18 vessels for Florida Marine Transporters, but Marty Cullinan is the first built using Horizon’s GORDHEAD management software. The shipyard said the program cuts production time and allows for quicker deliveries.
Emission-free tour boat delivered to Ottawa
An Ottawa tour boat company has taken delivery of a new electric-propulsion tour boat that can carry up to 100 people.
The 75-foot Queen Elizabeth Dr. is powered by two 80-hp electric motors that use high-voltage lithium, according to engine maker Torqeedo. The vessel uses one motor at a time, although the second is used for changing directions instead of turning around in Ottawa’s narrow Rideau Canal.
"Torqeedo's high-power Deep Blue system was the obvious choice to propel Canada's largest electric passenger vessel because of its comprehensive safety systems," said Robert Taillefer, owner of Queen Elizabeth Dr. and operator of Ottawa Boat Cruise. "These systems were fully vetted by the Canadian government in order to have the vessel certified."
The boat was built by Marc Marine of Gatineau, Quebec. A sister vessel, Colonel By, is scheduled for delivery early next year.
Gunderson delivers barge to Alaska Marine Lines
Gunderson Marine has delivered the heavy-deck cargo barge Skagway Provider to Alaska Marine Lines. The 360-by-100-by-22-foot barge can haul up to 800 TEU and will carry a range of goods and equipment to southeast Alaska communities.
"We are proud to offer our customers additional capacity between Seattle and Southeast Alaska via the Skagway Provider," said Alaska Marine Lines President Kevin Anderson. "It represents a significant investment in our Southeast Alaska service.”
Alaska Marine Lines, a Lynden subsidiary, runs a twice-weekly barge service to Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, Skagway and other Alaska communities. The company also tows cargo to Hawaii and central Alaska.
The new barge is equal in size to at least three existing barges. Including Skagway Provider, Gunderson has delivered 16 barges for Alaska Marine Lines in the past 18 years.
