Incat Crowther recently launch its 500th vessel, the Champion. The 88'7"x27'11"x9'3" aluminum catamaran passenger ferry for Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority was built by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding.
With seating for 110 passengers inside and a total capacity of 150 passengers, the Champion is U.S. Coast Guard-certified Subchapter T and meets a range of performance and function criteria. As well as being fully ADA complaint, with four wheelchair spaces and an accessible bathroom, the vessel also features a concession area, luggage rack, bicycle storage for 10 and a ticket counter.
The design, which has a draft of 4'2", is optimized for bow loading, with double-width gates and doors. The bow design integrates with the existing shore based infrastructure and the wheelhouse is designed to meet strict visibility requirements, allowing the captain to clearly see the foredeck. Resilient mounts isolate the new ferry’s superstructure to reduce noise and vibration in the cabin, allowing the vessel to exceed the contractual requirements.
The Champion is powered by a pair of Caterpillar C32 Acert engines, producing 1,450 hp @ 2,100 rpm each and driving HamiltonJet HM571 waterjets, for a service speed of 26 knots and a top speed of 30 knots. Ship’s service power comes from twin John Deere-powered Marathon gensets, sparking 47kW of electricity each.
Capacities include 1,600 gals. of fuel and 200 gals. fresh water. The ferry carries a crew of three.
“To have successfully designed 500 large commercial vessels is no accident. Incat Crowther will continue to invest in our people and process to deliver innovative yet practical technical solutions to our operators and shipbuilding partners,” Incat Crowther CEO Brett Crowther said in a statement. “It’s apt that our 500th vessel is a Gladding-Hearn build. We’ve built many vessels together and our philosophies align.”
Peter Duclos, director of business development at Gladding Hearn said: “Gladding Hearn’s philosophy is to build commercial vessels that make our customers successful. This vessel for the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority is a great example of the robust passenger transit vessels we are so well known for.”
