Vessel Profile – Pacific Maritime Magazine

Kamohoali’i, the ‘Shark God’ Catamaran, Heads for Shark-Infested Waters

BRIX Marine continues to flex in the Hawaii shark tourism space. Washington-based BRIX Marine has delivered the newly built aluminum Classic Tunnel Catamaran (CTC) Kamohoali’i for client Haleiwa Shark Tours of Oahu, Hawaii. The 40-foot length, 14-foot beam vessel dubbed a 4014-CTC is the latest of the BRIX Marine family of Hawaiian shark tour boats. The new 20,560-pound tour boat, which is named after the Hawaiian shark god, is U.S. Coast Guard Subchapter T small passenger vessel certified. “Kamohoali’i is a testament to BRIX Marine’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of marine innovation,” BRIX Marine Managing Director Perry Knudson said.…

Vessel Profile: Fire Island Maid

Designed by Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group and operated by Fire Island Ferries in Bay Shore, NY, Fire Island Maid is a unique 70-foot by 23-foot multi-purpose vehicle ferry currently running service from Bay Shore to a variety of Fire Island vacation communities. Fire Island Maid’s primary mission is to transport heavy equipment, such as cement trucks, garbage trucks, passenger vehicles and general cargo to and from the surrounding Fire Island communities, in addition to supporting dredging operations in the area. Construction The ferry features a steel hull, aluminum superstructure, a hydraulically operated bow ramp for loading and unloading heavy…

Vessel Profile: North River Boats’ Sounder

North River Boats has built the new 26-foot survey vessel Sounder for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) of Los Angeles. The Sounder is the flagship for a larger series of customizable workboats at North River Boats, based in Roseburg, Ore., that can be scaled from 23 feet to 60 feet in length with beams ranging from 8 feet, 6 inches to 16 feet. For the company, the combination of the boat hull, trailer-able size, topline outfitting and electronic configuration puts the Sounder in play as the most versatile survey vessel of its size on the market. The vessel…

Vessel Profile: It Takes a Village to Build a Hybrid-Electric Ferry

Seattle’s Elliott Bay Design Group shapes a new hybrid-electric, double-ended ferry for Casco Bay Lines of Maine. A 164-foot, double-ended hybrid-electric ferry from Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) was chosen by Casco Bay Lines (CBL) of Portland, Maine, to enter the construction phase at Senesco Marine of North Kingston, R.I., this fall. The new ferry is expected to enter service in 2024 to replace the existing Machigonne II diesel-powered ferry that operates between Portland and Peaks Island, Maine. Crowley Maritime announced in August that they were selected by Senesco Marine to provide design verification and production packaging for the…

General Dynamics NASSCO Awarded $600 Million to Support U.S. Navy Ship Construction

San Diego-based shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO confirmed in late June that it has been awarded a $600 million contract by the U.S. Navy to support construction of the seventh and eighth ships in USN’s the John Lewis-class fleet oiler (T-AO) program, as well as the sixth ship in its Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program. The contract modifications for long-lead-time material provide $500 million for T-AO 211 and 212, and $100 million for ESB 8. Construction is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2023 and continue into 2027. “NASSCO shipbuilders are honored to build T-AO 211, T-AO 212 and…

EBDG-Designed Hybrid-Electric Ferry Enters Construction

Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) announced on July 6 that its design of a hybrid-electric passenger vehicle ferry for Casco Bay Lines of Portland, Maine will enter the construction phase at Senesco Marine of North Kingstown, Rhode Island. The 164-foot ferry is expected to replace an existing diesel-powered ferry, the Machigonne II, resulting in a reduction of 800 tons of carbon dioxide each year, helping to improve air quality. EBDG has supported Casco Bay Lines since 2018 as it prepared and planned for the replacement ferry, which is to operate between Portland and Peaks Island, Maine. The contract design,…

Shoebox Be Gone! Truckable Towboats Incoming

A new truckable tugboat collaboration between Tacoma-based aluminum commercial boatbuilder Silverback Marine and Seattle-based naval design firm Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) appears poised to disrupt the small tugboat niche. The 25' 10-7/8" overall length, trailer-able design has standard 500 horsepower, 12,500 pounds of bollard pull and a still water range of 60 nautical miles pushing about 10,000 pounds at 4.1 knots. The truckable tug is also compatible with electric, hybrid and outboard propulsion systems. “It’s been an exciting journey and we’re happy to have connected with Elliott Bay Design,” Silverback Marine founder and owner Ian Gracey said. Silverback’s shipyard…

Hydrogen One: A Maritime Milestone?

Hydrogen One is on track to be the world’s first methanol-run hydrogen fuel cell working towboat. The world’s first methanol-fueled hydrogen towboat M/V Hydrogen One is on schedule for its 2023 splash. A non-disclosed builder has been chosen and initial steel cutting was on schedule for summer 2022. The prototype vessel features a shallow draft design suited for extended trips along its planned base of operations—the ditch between Houston and New Orleans with inland water capabilities. “The idea is to build it (Hydrogen One), get it fully operational, and put it through its paces before it goes to a customer…