No workboat sector took a harder hit from the Covid-19 pandemic than the passenger vessel industry. But that industry roared back last year thanks in large part to the end of the pandemic and the general public’s suffering from a severe case of cabin fever.
Some effects of the pandemic lingered through 2022, but 2023 is a different story.
“U.S. passenger vessel operators are reporting that they have largely rebounded from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, and in many cases have reached or exceeded 2019 passenger levels,” said John Groundwater, executive director, Passenger Vessel Association.
Two years ago, owners were agonizing over how to keep the boats they already had in their fleets, much less building new vessels. This year, WorkBoat’s annual Construction Survey recorded 26 new dinner, excursion, and sightseeing boats delivered, under construction, or under contract, and another 11 ferries and water taxis.
This past year, All American Marine (AAM) delivered the highly customized 50'×17' semi-displacement aluminum catamaran Poseidon to Hawaii Dolphin Tours, Honolulu.
The vessel’s hull was developed by Teknicraft Design, Auckland, New Zealand. Poseidon was built in AAM’s facility on Bellingham Bay and is operating out of Oahu.
The new vessel will add capacity to Hawaii Dolphin’s range of snorkel and tour vessel trips. The 70-passenger vessel was built to Coast Guard Subchapter T regulations and is fuel efficient at cruising speeds as well comfortable during tours and snorkel operations, according to AAM officials.
Main propulsion comes from twin Cummins QSB 6.7 SL-SW engines, rated at 355 hp at 3,000 rpm each, driving fixed-pitch propellers.
The open-air concept vessel was carefully designed for efficient operations. With a helm station on the bow and stern of the upper deck, the Poseidon’s captain has optimal viewing angles, no matter the mission of the vessel.
“Our experience during the project design and construction has been excellent,” Yuriko Iryka, Hawaii Dolphin’s owner, said in remarks during the boat’s delivery.
Another tour boat for Hawaii is the 46'×16' catamaran Artemis, built at Brix Marine, Port Angeles, Wash., for Hawaiian Adventures Kona, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
Artemis is Coast Guard certified for 49 passengers with an extended range offshore route allowing the vessel to access Kona’s deep waters up to 20 miles offshore. The boat has been named one of WorkBoat’s Significant Boats of 2023.
“This is the first boat we built for Hawaiian Adventures Kona,” said Capt. Charlie Crane, sales and marketing director for Brix. “The owner and his family worked very close with the Brix team from start to launch.”
The new tour boat has an experienced crew, modern lifesaving equipment, and new vessel construction standards, featuring 5086 alloy aluminum hull skins, 5052 alloy aluminum interior transverse frames, longitudinal T-bars, longitudinal (internal) hull stiffeners, self-bailing aluminum decks, watertight bulkheads, and a four-foot hull extension with two-foot swim step extension, centerline ladders, removable railings, boarding door cleats, and hatches.
Main deck seating is from Genoa and features Phifertex material. The upper passenger seats are also from Genoa and include outer arm rests with cupholders and aluminum leg assemblies.
There are also two aluminum bench seats with marine grade fabric cushions and storage.
Main propulsion comes from twin Volvo Penta IPS D11 diesel inboards, creating 510 hp at 2,250 rpm each. The mains connect to Volvo Penta IPS 650 outdrives with P series props. Controls are also from Volvo Penta.
ACI Boats, Port Townsend, Wash., and Coastwise Corp., Anchorage, Alaska, will build a new whale-watching and tour boat to operate in Washington state’s San Juan Islands. Designed by ACI and Coastwise, the 54'×20', 80-passenger Subchapter T vessel will be an all-aluminum symmetrical planing catamaran for Orcas, Wash.-based Outer Island Excursions.
Main propulsion will come from four 600-hp Mercury V12 outboards with 4-bladed, dual prop, counter rotating wheels. The new tour boat will also be equipped with two Garmin 861XSV 16 MFD and Garmin 18xHD 4 kW radar. The main floor will accommodate 54 passenger seats, three dinettes, a galley, and two head compartments. The upper cabin will feature four dinettes, bench seating, and an enclosed helm station, accommodating up to 16 passengers. The new tour boat will be delivered in 2024.
American Eagle, the first American Cruise Lines (ACL) Coastal Cat, was unveiled to much fanfare in New England in August. Accommodating just 100 guests, American Eagle features four decks and a unique catamaran bow. American Eagle is the first in ACL’s new 12-ship series of 100-passenger Coastal Cats. The second in the series, American Glory, is scheduled to begin cruising this November and will be followed by American Liberty and American Legend in 2024.
