ferries – Professional Mariner

12 May

WSF cites fuel contamination for grounding on Seattle run

Rich MillerCasualty Newsferries, U.S. Coast Guard

The following is a statement from Eben Phillips, director of vessel engineering and maintenance for Washington State Ferries (WSF), regarding the recent grounding of the ferry Walla Walla: "On April 15, Walla Walla had both its ship's service generator and vital generator shut down in Rich Passage, ultimately resulting in a full loss of propulsion and steerage, and subsequently (the…

19 Apr

WSF: Captain lost situational awareness before allision

Rich MillerCasualty Newsferries

(SEATTLE) — A Washington State Ferries (WSF) captain lost situational awareness before his vessel hit a docking dolphin near a terminal in Puget Sound while cruising at about 15 knots, according to a WSF report. The ferry Cathlamet was en route from the Vashon Island Terminal to the Fauntleroy Terminal when the allision occurred at 8:13 a.m. on July 28.…

17 Apr

Ferry carrying 600 passengers grounds near Seattle

Rich MillerCasualty Newsferries, U.S. Coast Guard

(SEATTLE) — A Washington state ferry ran aground south of Bainbridge Island on Saturday, prompting the evacuation of nearly 600 passengers aboard the vessel. All were safely disembarked and no pollution was reported. At about 4:30 p.m., Walla Walla grounded in Rich Passage en route from Bremerton to Seattle. According to operator Washington State Ferries (WSF), the vessel appeared to…

22 Mar

Everett Ship Repair completes work on damaged ferry Cathlamet

Rich MillerIndustry Newsferries, shipbuilding

(EVERETT, Wash.) — Two shipyards with professional working relationships with Washington State Ferries (WSF) — Everett Ship Repair (ESR) and Ice Floe, dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) — offered immediate assistance to the operator when the ferry Cathlamet allided with the Fauntleroy dock on July 28, 2022. On March 2 of this year, Cathlamet was towed back to Eagle…

15 Mar

Metal Shark delivers newbuild to Fire Island Ferries

Rich MillerMaritime Newsferries, shipbuilding

(SEATTLE and BAYOU LA BATRE, Ala.) – Metal Shark has delivered Fire Island Maid to Fire Island Ferries of Bay Shore, N.Y. The newbuild, designed by Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) of Seattle, was constructed at Metal Shark's facility in Bayou La Batre, Ala. The 70-by-23-foot multipurpose vehicle ferry features a steel hull and aluminum superstructure and is equipped with…

12 Mar

Crews, agencies honored for response to NYC ferry fire

Rich MillerMaritime Newscasualties, ferries, U.S. Coast Guard

(NEW YORK) – The U.S. Coast Guard presented public service commendations and certificates of merit Thursday at the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Manhattan to the New York City Police and Fire Departments, and to the ferry and tug operators and crew who helped evacuate hundreds of passengers off Sandy Ground, a Staten Island ferry, due to a fire aboard the…

27 Jan

U.S. awards $384 million to modernize nation’s ferries

Rich MillerMaritime Newsferries, shipbuilding

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on Thursday announced $384.4 million in federal funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for expanding and improving the nation's ferry service in communities across the country, as well as accelerating the transition to zero-emission transportation. This funding will benefit millions of Americans – from Alaska to Michigan to…

23 Dec

Nearly 900 evacuated after fire aboard Staten Island ferry

Rich MillerMaritime Newscasualties, ferries, U.S. Coast Guard

(NEW YORK) — Nearly 900 passengers and crewmembers were evacuated from a ferry bound for Staten Island from Manhattan on Thursday after a fire in the vessel's engine room, ABC News reported. Five people were injured in the fire aboard Sandy Ground, with three going to the hospital with unspecified minor injuries, the New York Fire Department said at a…

02 Dec

Deck hand injured by anchor chain on Texas ferry

Rich MillerCasualty Newsferries

(HOUSTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a 56-year-old man from a ferry near Galveston, Texas, on Thursday. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center watch standers received notification at 2:42 p.m. relayed by Vessel Traffic Services Houston/Galveston personnel that a crewmember aboard the John W. Johnson ferry had been struck in the face by the vessel's anchor chain after the…

26 Oct

NTSB: Software flaw led to grounding of New York ferry

Rich MillerCasualty Newsferries

(WASHINGTON) — A software flaw combined with the captain’s failure to use backup controls led to the grounding of a passenger ferry last year in New York City, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. The high-speed passenger ferry Commodore, owned and operated by Seastreak, was transiting northbound on the East River on June 5, 2021, when the catamaran…