Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 4012 APRIL 2017 • FOGHORN FOGHORNFOCUS: SHIPBUILDING T his is great time to be in the passenger vessel operations business. For many, business is booming and optimism for continued growth is conta- gious. With a strong passenger vessel industry, comes a boom for those supporting industries, such as shipbuilding and repair. FOGHORN explores several aspects of shipbuilding trends and how they impact vessel operators. What’s New in Passenger Vessel Shipbuilding? The Future is Now: Using Carbon Fiber to Construct Passenger Vessels By JB Turner, Arcadia Alliance/Front Street Marine Many people know that carbon fiber is a lighter, stronger material than most traditional ship construction materials like aluminum or other metals. The marine, high-end automotive sports car, and aerospace industries have been using it in high-performance vessels for decades. Passenger-vessel builders have realized that incorporating carbon fiber into ferry hulls does more than make the boats go faster. The resulting lighter-weight end-product can be equipped with smaller engines than metal boats can while reaching the same speeds and performance levels. Equipping a ferry with a smaller engine results in significantly reduced fuel costs and emissions. In international markets where carbon ferries are common, operators have provided case studies to demonstrate their efficiency. The Norwegian M/S Terningen is a carbon fiber ferry built to replace the aluminum M/S Ladejarl for ferry operator Kystekspressen. Terningen has demonstrated a 40 percent reduction in fuel costs and a 40 percent reduction in CO2 emissions. Another major benefit of carbon fiber is its corrosion resistance. Ferries built of carbon require significantly less maintenance than their metal sister ships. There are no welding cracks to address, no leakages, and no condensa- tion damage in carbon hulls. The external maintenance costs and man-hours are halved. The European and Asian passenger-vessel marketplace has been capi- talizing on the high strength and low weight benefits of carbon fiber for decades. Here in North America we have the same technology and capabilities to begin building carbon fiber ferries. The first ferries introduced into our fleets will undoubtedly change how the passenger vessel market currently operates. River Cruises Continue to Boom Creating Need for New Vessels By Karen Rainbolt, FOGHORN Managing Editor The river cruise phenomenon that has been sweeping the world continues to boom, which is creating the need for more vessels designed especially for small, overnight cruises on inland waterways. Overnight European cruises on the Danube, Rhine, Rhone, Seine, Elbe, and Duoro Rivers, to name just a few, have exploded and collectively attract millions of passengers, mainly baby boomers and mature travelers, who want to travel in a leisurely, sophisticated manner. River cruises differ greatly from most ocean-going cruises, as the riverboats stop frequently to allow passengers to explore a new city every day. According to rivercruiseadvisor.com, “The main purpose for river cruising is to tour the various towns, cities and ports along the way. There is a fair amount of walking on river cruising during informative walking tours. There is often usually free time to roam the port towns as well.” Many of the more popular European overnight river cruise vessels feature a contemporary look with modern conve- niences. It’s no surprise, then, that their counterparts on this side of the pond are taking notice and making changes. American Cruise Lines, Guilford, CT, just announced the first of a new class of five modern riverboats destined for America’s rivers. These vessels combine the modern styling of a European riverboat with the premium comfort for which the operator is known.  The first in the series is scheduled to begin passenger service in 2018 and will carry 200 guests. At 345 feet long, the new riverboat will include all the finest modern design features that today’s travelers have come to expect. PVA Associate member Chesapeake Shipbuilding, Salisbury, MD, designed and will construct the new European riverboat-style vessel, which will feature more glass, noise dampening solutions, and Tier 4 engines on the longer, wider steel overnight river cruise vessel. Trending: Keeping it Green with Solar- Powered Boatbuilding By Leah Yam, Marine Group Boat Works, LLC, Chula Vista, CA Marine Group Boat Works, LLC, (“MGBW”), Chula Vista, CA, a family- owned boatbuilding and repair company with three facilities in San Diego and Los Cabos, recently completed a 500 kW rooftop solar panel system for its shipyard in National City, CA, making it the first boatbuilder to use solar energy to construct boats. The move to solar is one way that MGBW is proving that reducing the carbon footprint in manufacturing and boat repair is possible.  “Our initial decision to go solar was driven primarily by our desire to be a zero-emission, low-impact boatbuilder,” said Todd Roberts, president of MGBW. “There’s no question that solar is an economic benefit, but there are many other advantages – everything from self-reliance and sustainability to doing the right thing. We chose to do the right thing.”