Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, Somerset, Mass., recently delivered the passenger ferry Bermudian to the Government of Bermuda’s Marine and Port Services after performing an extensive refit of the 37-year-old vessel, the oldest in the island fleet.
The 105’x31’, 700-passenger ferry project’s engineering and project management were jointly handled by Gladding-Hearn and Propulsion Data Services, and with Class oversight by Lloyd’s Register.
The shipyard’s tasks included hull repairs as required by Class and repainting, with a goal of extending the life of the vessel an additional 15 years, “while improving the efficiency, environmental footprint and reliability,” according to Gladding-Hearn.
The vessel’s original twin Detroit Diesel 12V-71 460 Bhp main engines were replaced with a pair of Caterpillar C-18, 600 Bhp, IMO Tier 2 diesel engines, along with new controls and monitoring systems. With new enlarged shafts, seals, bearings, cooling and exhaust systems, the engines were paired with new ZF W650 gear boxes that turn 5-bladed HS Marine nibral propellers. The repowered ferry has a service speed of 12 knots with a full load of passengers.
In the engine room, the existing Halon fire-suppression system was replaced with a new “clean agent” fire suppression system.
Existing air controls at each of the three control stations – one centerline and one at each bridge wing in the wheelhouse – were replaced with ZF electronic controls. The original Wagner hydraulic steering, which was PTO-driven off the main engines, was replaced with a new Kobelt PTO-powered hydraulic system.
The renovated vessel now also has a separate hydraulic system to run deck winches, passenger ramps and bow thruster. The pumps were replaced and moved from the main engines PTOs, to Logan Clutch PTOs on the new 99kW Caterpillar generators to provide constant speed to the pumps. The existing bow thruster was replaced with a new Sleipner SH1000 thruster.
Passenger accommodations were completely renewed or updated. The vessel’s five passenger heads were refreshed with new fixtures and Headhunter toilets. The black and grey-water tankage holding capacity was enlarged to comply with zero-discharge requirements.
In the main cabin, with seating for 150 passengers, the interior bulkheads were relined and the carpeting replaced. The cabin ceiling was replaced and the existing lights were replaced with new LED lighting. A new 36,000 Btu air-conditioning system replaced the existing HVAC.
A new integrated audio/visual passenger information system was installed in the passenger areas, and a new CCTV security system now monitors the entire vessel from the wheelhouse.
New electronics feature the Simrad NSS16 EVO multifunctional display, linked to its HALO24 radar and interfaced with the vessel’s existing AIS. The incandescent navigation, flood and search lights were replaced with new LED fixtures.
