ferries – Page 5 – Professional Mariner

25 Jul

Passengers evacuated after fire aboard Canadian ferry

Rich MillerCasualty Newsferries

(WOOD ISLANDS, Prince Edward Island) — The ferry Holiday Island will likely remain moored for the rest of the season due to the fire that began in the ship's engine room Friday morning, CBC News reported. The ship was evacuated at about 1115 while en route to Wood Islands from Caribou, Nova Scotia. The crew launched the lifeboats and deployed…

15 Jul

World’s first electric fast ferry ready for service

Rich MillerMaritime NewsClimate change, ferries, technology

(STAVANGER, Norway) — Medstraum, the world’s first fully electric and zero-emission fast ferry, classed as a high-speed craft, embarked this week on the journey from Fjellstrand shipyard in Norway to its new home port, Stavanger. The vessel has been built using unique modular manufacturing methods at Fjellstrand. Modularization helps cut both production costs and engineering costs and will contribute to…

11 Jul

New grants aim to modernize, electrify ferry service

Rich MillerMaritime Newsferries, shipbuilding

(WASHINGTON) – The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is making available nearly $300 million through three competitive grant programs that boost access to rural ferry service, bolster existing urban service, and lower emissions by speeding adoption of zero-emission ferry technologies. "Ferry service can be as important to everyday life as a highway or railway for many people across the country, whether…

26 Jan

Toronto to replace ferry fleet with fully electric vessels

Rich MillerMaritime News, Shipbuildingferries, shipbuilding, technology

(TORONTO) — A new city staff report, recommending a plan to replace Toronto’s current aging fleet of ferries with fully electric vessels, was considered by the General Government and Licensing Committee and adopted without amendment on Jan. 14. This shift to full electrification supports the city’s TransformTO Net Zero Strategy and commitment to accelerate climate action to achieve net-zero citywide…

01 Dec

Seastreak newcomer pushing through dip in demand

Professional Mariner StaffFerry Boat, Shipbuildingferries, ferry, passenger ferry, Seastreak, shipbuilding

Two years ago, Seastreak LLC took delivery of Seastreak Commodore, a 600-passenger fast ferry, from Gulf Craft of Franklin, La. Designed by Australia-based Incat Crowther, the vessel is the largest of its kind in the United States and was built to meet the burgeoning demand for service in the New York-New Jersey market. Then COVID-19 arrived and passenger traffic took…

22 Nov

COVID-19 brings uncertainty, fresh challenges for American shipbuilders

Professional Mariner StaffAmerican Ship Review, ShipbuildingCOVID, COVID-19, ferries, pandemic, shipbuilding, shipyards, wind power

U.S. shipbuilders responded with characteristic resolve when the COVID-19 pandemic reached North American shores. Workers adapted to new safety protocols and managers overcame supply chain hiccups to keep projects moving forward. But many of these shipyards now face another challenge altogether: Finding new work to keep their yards humming. “We are getting through it, but we are not through it…

22 Nov

COVID-19 threatens once-robust passenger vessel market

Professional Mariner StaffAmerican Ship ReviewCOVID, COVID-19, excursion, ferries, pandemic, passenger ferry, tourism

The passenger boat market has been relatively strong over the past few years, driven largely by ferry operators on all three coasts replacing older vessels and adding to existing fleets. Meanwhile, the relatively robust economy stoked demand for new excursion and tourist vessels. The COVID-19 pandemic has, at least for now, paused demand for new passenger vessels. There is still…