Passenger Vessels News

The first-of-its-kind hydrogen-fueled ferry Sea Change will soon begin public service, providing zero-emissions transport for passengers in San Francisco Bay.The groundbreaking commercial passenger vessel is the world’s first powered 100% by zero-emission hydrogen fuel cells. It was developed by owner SWITCH Maritime with grant support from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as a solution to reduce emissions from the marine transportation system.A group of private and public sector partners came together to officially launch the Sea Change on July 12…

Angel Island Tiburon Ferry (AITF), in California, has tapped New-Zealand-based EV Maritime to design a plug-in hybrid electric vessel for its fleet in the San Francisco Bay Area. The project, which will also see the electrification of two existing AITF vessels, has been funded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The hybrid ferry will be designed and engineered by EV Maritime with electrical integration provided by ZeroMar, a local company in the Bay Area.“This new vessel will be plug-in hybrid…

Canadian shipbuilder AF Theriault & Son Ltd. announced it is teaming up with New-Zealand-based electric ferry design and technology company EV Maritime in hopes of securing a contract to build a series of electric ferries serving the community of Bedford, Nova Scotia.This partnership has been formed in relation to Halifax Regional Municipality’s (HRM) upcoming procurement for five new ferries for scheduled delivery in the 2027-2028 fiscal year. The entire project is estimated at CAD$258.7 million and will include ferries…

The Government of Bermuda’s Marine and Port Services has taken delivery of the 700-passenger ferry Bermudian after a major refit at Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding. Engineering and project management were jointly handled by the Somerset, Mass. shipyard and Propulsion Data Services, and class oversight by Lloyd’s Register.Among the myriad items to be removed, repaired or replaced, the hull received repairs as required by class and repainted, with a goal of extending the life of the 37-year-old vessel an additional 15 years…

Hornblower Group has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy under new ownership following the completion of its court-approved financial restructuring plan, the marine transportation and experiences company announced on Friday.Under the plan approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, majority ownership of San Francisco-based Hornblower has transitioned to funds managed by investment firm Strategic Value Partners (SVP), while private equity firm Crestview…

U.S.-based family-owned private equity firm the Hoffmann Family of Companies (HF Companies) announced it has acquired Mackinac Island Ferry Company in Michigan.Jenny Gezella, President of Hoffmann Marine, said, “We are thrilled to acquire the Mackinac Island Ferry Company, further expanding our presence in the Mackinac community and marine industry. Our commitment to providing first-class, efficient transportation remains steadfast, and we look forward to continuing to serve both residents and visitors to this special island.”“To ensure a seamless transition…

Ukrainian ferry company Ukrferry will resume services between the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk and Batumi in Georgia, according to the company's timetable.The ferry service was halted after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Its resumption will allow Kyiv to gain direct access to its markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.The first voyage is scheduled to depart Chornomorsk on July 9 and arrive in Georgia on July 12."Regular services accept passengers...

Hornblower Group on Friday announced its financial restructuring plan has gained court approval, clearing way for the marine transportation and experiences company to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the coming weeks.Under the plan approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, majority ownership of San Francisco-based Hornblower will transition to funds managed by investment firm Strategic Value Partners (SVP), while private equity firm Crestview…

Hungary has detained the captain of a Swiss-based cruise ship involved in a collision with a small motor boat on the Danube River late on Saturday that killed two people, with five others still missing, police said on Monday.The accident was reported on Saturday night after a 35-year-old man was found with a bleeding head wound near a main road by the river near Veroce, 55 km (34 miles) north of the capital Budapest.The body of a man was recovered downstream south of Veroce, while a woman's body was found further downstream near a bridge on the northern outskirts of Budapest…

The captain of a dive boat that caught fire and sank off the California coast in 2019, killing 34 people in one of the state's deadliest maritime disasters, was sentenced on Thursday to four years in prison for his conviction on a federal charge of seaman's manslaughter.Jerry Boylan, 70, was found guilty by a U.S. District Court jury in November on a single felony count of "misconduct or neglect of a ship officer" under a federal homicide statute dating from steamboat accidents of the early 1800s.Federal prosecutors had sought the maximum penalty of 10 years in prison…

Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine (AAM) has delivered a new high-speed and long-range eco-tour vessel to Phillips Cruises and Tours. The vessel will operate daily in Prince William Sound and will be based out of Whittier, AlaskaDeveloped by Nic de Waal of Teknicraft Design in Auckland, New Zealand, the Chugach Express boasts an 84.5’ x 30.7’ semi-displacement aluminum catamaran hull.The new sightseeing vessel integrates the signature Teknicraft Design symmetrical and asymmetrical combined hull shape, bow wave piercer, and a patented hydrofoil-assisted hull design.

Norwegian shipyard Myklebust Verft has been selected to build a pair of innovative hydrogen-powered passenger ferries ordered by Norwegian transport company Torghatten Nord.The design, produced by The Norwegian Ship Design Company for operations in the challenging waters of the Vestfjordstrekninga fjord in the Arctic Circle, received approval in principle (AIP) in August 2022 from Lloyd's Register, who has signed on to class the first-of-their-kind vessels.At 117 meters long with a 120-car capacity…

For Lee Mi-kyung, whose son was one of the 250 children who died in South Korea's Sewol ferry disaster 10 years ago, coping with the grief and anger has been incredibly hard. She works through her pain on stage."I will no longer hide in darkness, nor be defeated by sorrow, nor cry in despair," Lee, 58, declares in a play in which seven mothers of children who died in the tragedy portray their journey of mourning.The play is one of five that Lee and other mothers have performed over the past eight years…

A newly unveiled concept for a sail-powered catamaran cruise ship aims to offer a luxury cruising experience on board a vessel that can travel emissions free.The unique vessel design--codenamed "Seabreeze"--comes from Norway-based YSA Design, who engineered the 104.5-meter-long ship to feature four 50-meter-high foldable sails mounted on 6-meter-high bases on deck for emissions-free propulsion.“Sustainability is critical but cruise shipping also needs to continuously reinvent itself,” said Trond Sigurdsen, Senior Architect and Partner, YSA Design.

American Cruise Lines is set to take delivery of two more new small ships in 2025.The 125-passenger sister ships, American Patriot and American Pioneer, represent the fifth and sixth ships in the company’s Project Blue series of 12 new small ships for the U.S. market. The ships will be built at the company’s affiliated shipyard, Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Maryland.American Patriot will begin sailing in June 2025, and American Pioneer in November 2025 and both new ships will operate a host of American’s U.S.

Construction on a new passenger ferry, designed by Incat Crowther for Western Australian ferry operator Rottnest Fast Ferries, has commenced at Austal Philippines.The new ferry will operate on the popular Perth to Rottnest Island tourism route with the 32-meter aluminum catamaran set to have an operational capacity of up to 400 passengers and five crew seated over three decks. The vessel will also feature extensive cargo and luggage space for passengers, including bicycle storage areas on the main and mid decks.

The latest newbuild for the San Francisco Bay Ferry fleet has been commissioned. The high-speed passenger vessel Delphinus was built by Mavrik Marine in La Conner, Wash. as the second of four new Dorado class ferries. Design was completed by One2three Naval Architects and construction management services were provided by Aurora Marine Design.Vessel construction was funded through the Federal Transit Administration and the State of California’s Proposition 1B in collaboration with…

The U.S. Coast Guard published an interim rule on December 27, 2021, to implement Congressionally-mandated requirements for fire safety on “covered small passenger vessels” (CSPVs), as defined by 46 U.S.C. 3306(n). Congress adopted the statutory mandate in response to the fire and loss of 34 lives onboard the dive boat CONCEPTION off the California coast on 02 September 2019.The USCG has identified a need to clarify the reference in 46 CFR 175.110(c) with respect to fire detection…

Bayou la Batre, Ala. shipbuilder Steiner Shipyard reports it has launched a new ferry it is building for the Maine Department of Transportation.The 104-foot passenger/vehicle ferry, named Charles Norman Shay, is designed by Gilbert Associates and is scheduled to be delivered in the near future.Once completed, the brand-new vessel will service the Maine State Ferry Service’s (MSFS) longest route, between Rockland and Matinicus Island (23 miles). It will provide the necessary upgrade to the ferry service that transports nearly 500…

A new environmentally friendly electric ferry service is planned to launch in Halifax, Canada.The province of Nova Scotia, along with the federal government and Halifax Regional Municipality, announced on March 4 a joint investment to build the Mill Cove Ferry Service, which will include five fully electric ferries, two terminals and a maintenance facility. All-electric propulsion, which slashes vessel emissions, noise and vibration, has been taking off in the ferry industry as the operational profile for these vessels—often including frequent…

On Friday, March 8, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) christened its new ferry in Galveston Bay.Named for the first female chair of the TxDOT and first Latina Secretary of State, Esperanza “Hope” Andrade, the vessel was designed by the The Shearer Group and built by Gulf Island Fabricators in Louisiana.Stretching 293 feet, the double-ended ferry showcases cutting-edge propulsion technology and pioneering battery energy storage systems.The ferry is outfitted with diesel-powered and electrical engines and Siemens Energy’s BlueDrive PLUSC power and propulsion system…

Norway's Havila Voyages announced it has appointed Mette Øyen as its new chief marketing officer and Aleksander Røynesdal has started in the role of new chief financial officer.Røynesdal was hired in December but officially entered his new role March 1. He comes from the position of COO at Norgas Carriers and has extensive experience in the finance and capital markets within the shipping and maritime transport industry.Øyen is scheduled to start in her new role on September 1, 2024.

Steve Nevey has been selected to serve as assistant secretary for the Washington State Ferries Division, the state's Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar announced on Thursday. Nevey will succeed Patty Rubstello, who is stepping down as head of WSF after more than 33 years of service with the Washington State Department of Transportation.A career mariner, Nevey progressed directly from high school to a maritime academy in the U.K. For the past two years he has served as director…