Derecktor building hybrid boat for organic food delivery
Derecktor Shipyards of Mamaroneck, N.Y., is building a 63-foot aluminum catamaran driven by a diesel-electric propulsion system. The vessel can travel emission-free using advanced lithium-ion batteries and will carry organic produce from farms along Long Island Sound.
The vessel will be powered by a BAE HybriDrive propulsion system with two Cummins QSB6.7 engines. The vessel typically will begin a voyage powered by the low-sulfur diesel engines, then switch to the lithium batteries for propulsion.
“For approximately three voyage hours without recharge, the organic market delivery vessel can travel emission-free on its lithium battery component,” Derecktor said in a news release.
The shipyard has partnered with a Connecticut natural grocer to develop an “eco-friendly” shipping network to help New York and Connecticut farmers bring crops to market. The vessel has been designed to carry 12,000 pounds of organic produce, of which 9,000 pounds will be refrigerated and another 3,000 can be stored on deck.
“Trade routes have been determined based on farm locations and will support a wide range of coastal area,” Derecktor said. “This project will work to move freight back onto the water, decongesting roadways and providing one of the most environmentally sustainable farm-to-market systems that is in operation today.”
The shipyard did not provide a construction or delivery timetable. The boat will be the third HybriDrive vessel built by the shipyard. The first in the series, ordered by the Maritime Aquarium of Norwalk in Connecticut, is used for research and student excursions.
Conrad lays keels for Young Brothers tugs
Conrad Shipyard in Morgan City, La., has laid the keels on four tugboats it is building for Hawaiian towing company Young Brothers Ltd.
The Kapena-class vessels designed for ocean towing will be powered by twin GE Tier 4 engines producing 6,000 total horsepower. The 123-by-36.5-foot tugs based on the Damen Stan 3711 design will be paired with the company’s existing fleet of barges delivered between 2007 and 2010.
Kommer Damen, chairman and CEO of Damen Shipyard, and Jim Watson, president of ABS Americas, were among the maritime industry officials who attended the keel-laying ceremony in November. Also in attendance were Glenn Hong, president of Young Brothers, and representatives from sister company Foss Maritime and the two firms’ parent company, Saltchuk.
Conrad Shipyard Senior Vice President Dan Conrad moderated the ceremony, which included a performance by the Morgan City High School band.
Young Brothers is spending nearly $80 million to bolster its inter-island fleet of oceangoing tugs. The first tug is scheduled for delivery in early 2018; the fourth vessel is expected about a year later.
Philly Shipyard delivers LNG-ready tanker to APT
Kinder Morgan subsidiary American Petroleum Tankers has taken delivery of the first of four LNG-ready tankers from Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania. The 600-foot lead vessel is American Endurance, and the other tankers should be finished next year.
American Endurance, a 50,000-dwt tanker, can carry up to 14.5 million gallons of oil or refined products. The vessel is based on a Hyundai Mipo Dockyards design that incorporates the latest efficiency measures and allows for flexible cargo handling.
Philly Shipyard also has built LNG-ready tankers for Crowley, and has two more such vessels under construction for APT. Construction also is underway at the yard on two 3,600-TEU containerships for Matson Navigation Co.
Horizon delivers 120-foot towboat, makes progress on NYC ferries
Horizon Shipbuilding has delivered a 120-foot towboat to Florida Marine Transporters (FMT) and announced steady progress on the new ferries under construction for Hornblower in New York CIty.
The 4,000-hp towboat A.B. York delivered in late November is powered by twin Caterpillar 3512 engines linked with Twin Disc reduction gears turning 100-inch Sound propellers. Dual Caterpillar C9 generators provide auxiliary power.
Earlier this year, Horizon delivered the 4,000-hp retractable pilothouse pushboat Marty Cullinan to FMT. The yard is currently working on a second retractable for FMT, which is based in Mandeville, La.
Meanwhile, the Bayou La Batre, Ala., shipyard is making steady progress on aluminum catamaran ferries under construction for Hornblower’s Citywide ferries project. Horizon announced in November that the superstructure of the first ferry had been completed.
Horizon is building eight of the high-speed, 150-passenger ferries for the New York City commuter service, while Metal Shark of Jeanerette, La., is building four ferries. The first boats are expected in early 2017 and the ferry service is expected to begin next summer.
Master Marine lays keel, nears delivery of pushboat
Horizon Shipbuilding isn’t the only Bayou La Batre yard keeping busy. In November, Master Marine laid the keel for the first of four 67-foot fleet boats.
The new vessels will be powered by twin Mitsubishi 803-hp Tier 3 diesel engines coupled with Twin Disc 5321 gears. The fleet boats will work for Waterfront Services and CGB Enterprises in a Cairo, Ill., fleeting area.
Delivery of the first fleet boat is scheduled for summer 2017, and subsequent deliveries should occur every three months until the order is completed.
Master Marine is also putting the finishing touches on St. Matthias, a 2,000-hp z-drive towboat built for Marquette Transportation. The new vessel is the final boat of an 11-boat order and is scheduled for delivery in mid-December.
Like its predecessors, St. Matthias is powered by twin Caterpillar C32 Tier 3 engines producing 1,000 hp each. The mains are connected to ZF Marine z-drives, while auxiliary power comes from twin John Deere 4045 engines driving a pair of Marathon generators.
Chesapeake building three new cruise ships
Chesapeake Shipbuilding of Salisbury, Md., is building three new cruise ships for American Cruise Lines, which is based in Connecticut.
Delivery of the first ship, the 170-passenger American Constellation, is expected in early 2017 in time for a spring start to the cruise season. Construction is nine weeks ahead of schedule, and crews are currently installing marble in bathrooms and sliding doors in each stateroom. The vessel is expected to cruise to popular summer destinations in New England including Boston, Newport, R.I., and Nantucket, Mass.
“Designed to navigate the coastal waters of the U.S., this new ship features active wing stabilizers, the latest ‘green’ propulsion technology and many modern amenities,” American Cruise Lines said in a news release. “It will also feature the largest staterooms in the industry with private balconies and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors.”
Chesapeake is currently working on another 170-passenger cruise ship expected to be finished in 2018. The yard also has cut steel on the lead ship in a new class of riverboats expected to carry 195 people.
Ocean Group takes delivery of icebreaking tug
Ocean Group has added another powerful tug to its fleet. The Quebec City firm has taken delivery of the 8,000-hp Ocean Taiga — sister to Ocean Tundra — built at its own shipyard outside Quebec City. Both vessels are among the most powerful tugs in the Canadian registry.
The 188-foot Ocean Taiga is a Robert Allan Ltd.-designed vessel capable of year-round towing and escort work, terminal support, ship docking and ice management. The tug also has advanced firefighting equipment, can perform rescue tows and is capable of carrying lube oil for transfer to ships already underway.
Initially, Ocean Taiga is slated to work in the St. Lawrence Seaway and along Canada’s often-frigid East Coast, according to a news release.
