34 JULY 2018 • FOGHORN MEMBERNEWS Complete control and steering systems for vessels of all types and sizes. +1 (604)572-3935 • Surrey, BC, Canada sales@kobelt.com • www.kobelt.com KOBELT MANUFACTURING CO.LTD. gplink.com Put Your Fleet at Your Fingertips Rhode Island Fast Ferry will soon add a new vessel to its fleet. PVA Associate member Gladding- Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corp., Somerset, MA, has begun construction of a high-speed passenger ferry for North Kingston, RI ferry operator to open a new seasonal route between Quonset Point, R.I., and Block Island. The ferry was designed by PVAAssociate member Incat Crowther. Delivery is scheduled for 2019. The new 320-passenger, all- aluminum catamaran will come in at just under 109 feet overall, 31.5 feet at the beam, and draws six feet. It will be powered by PVA Associate member MTU-12V4000M64 twin diesel engines, each delivering 1,875 hp at 1,800 rpm. The engines turn a pair of five-blade nibral propellers through ZF 5055 gearboxes. The ferry will be equipped with a pair of 55-kW generators and a VT/MDI hydraulic trim tab motion-control system. Top speed will be 29 knots. The vessel features the designer’s “S” bow hulls, which, according to the builder, have proven to provide excellent seakeeping, directional stability and a high tolerance to shifts in trim and displacement. Entrance into the boat is through the port and starboard side doors. With more than twice the passenger capacity of the operation’s current vessel, Ava Pearl, the new ferry’s seating arrangement reflects a blend of both interior and exterior comfort during the summer season. Equipped throughout with PVA Associate member Beurteaux seats and tables, the main cabin has seating for 142 passengers, a snack bar and four heads. A 180,000-BTU HVAC system will heat and cool the main cabin and wheelhouse on the second deck. The second deck features partially protected outdoor seating for 124 passengers. The open third deck, with seating for 18 passengers, has ample standing room for additional passengers. n Rhode Island Fast Ferry to Add a New Service Route and a New Ferry to its Fleet