WorkBoat recognized the 10 Significant Boats of 2018 and named its Boat of the Year at an awards ceremony at the International WorkBoat Show Thursday morning. The 2018 Boat of the Year was the Enhydra, a 600-passenger hybrid tour vessel built by All American Marine for Red and White Fleet.
Designed by Teknicraft Design, the Enhydra is BAE System’s third and largest boat to be powered with its hybrid system, called HybriDrive.
“The system is fully automated, it assesses the power loads, both hotel loads and propulsion loads, and completely manages the use of available power,” said Joe Hudspeth, BAE’s marine marketing manager. “It draws upon the batteries as much as possible until it needs additional power from the diesel generators.”
BAE’s variable-speed generators also serve as starting motors for the two Cummins QSL9 diesel engines, rated at 410-hp each and operated with biofuel.
The Boat of Year winners for the Enhydra from BAE, Red and White Fleet, All American Marine, and Teknicraft Design.
Here are the other nine winners:
Cindy L. Erickson, Chris Reeves, Jerry Jarrett (Z-Drive Towboats)
Owner: Marquette Transportation Co.
Builder: C&C Marine and Repair
Designer: CT Marine
Clean Jacksonville (LNG Bunker Barge)
Owner: TOTE Maritime
Builder: Conrad Industries
Designer: Bristol Harbor Group (barge)/GTT (LNG cryogenic membrane)
Douglas B. Mackie (tug) (Suction Hopper Dredge ATB)
Ellis Island (dredge)
Owner: Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co.
Builder: Eastern Shipbuilding Group
Designer: Ship Architects Inc. (tug)
Marine 24 (Fire/Rescue Boat)
Owner: Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District
Builder: Lake Assault Boats/Fraser Shipyards Inc.
Designer: Lake Assault Boats
Millville (tug), 1964 (barge) (Articulated Tug/Barge Unit)
Owner: Wawa Inc.
Builder: Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding
Designer: Guarino & Cox
National Geographic Quest, National Geographic Venture (Expedition Cruise Boat)
Owner: Lindblad Expeditions
Builder: Nichols Brothers Boat Builders
Designer: Jensen Maritime Consultants
Potomac Taxi I, II, III and IV (Water Taxi)
Owner: Potomac Riverboat Co., Entertainment Cruises
Builder: Metal Shark
Designer: BMT Designers & Planners Inc.
Rosemary McAllister (Ship Assist and Escort Tug)
Owner: McAllister Towing and Transportation Co. Inc.
Builder: Eastern Shipbuilding Group
Designer: Jensen Maritime
Seastreak Commodore (600-Passenger Ferry)
Owner: Seastreak LLC
Builder: Gulf Craft LLC
Designer: Incat Crowther
— David Krapf
