“We were contacted by Holland America Line (HAL) to construct a vessel,” said Brannon Breaux, a vice president of the company founded by his father, Ward Breaux, who is president. The company’s other vice president is Brannon’s brother Vic.
The new vessel would replace a 95-foot, triple-screw Camcraft crew boat originally built for Eastern Shipping Co. in 1975 that subsequently was employed as a ferry in Newfoundland. HAL acquired the vessel in 1997, placed the name Half Moon Clipper on the hull, and put the boat into service in the Bahamas.
As with the old boat, the new Half Moon Clipper transports crew and workers from Eleuthera’s Princess Cays to HAL’s resort on Half Moon Cay, a run of up to an hour and a half. The crew loads, transports and unloads all of the food, beverages and equipment necessary to feed and entertain cruise ship passengers on shore parties. The boat also acts as a supply boat for the ships.
“It’s all brought via the Clipper, so it’s a very important — I would say vital — part of our operation,” said Matthew Sams, vice president of Caribbean relations and private island operations for HAL.
The trend toward giant, passengerpacked cruise ships called for a crew boat designed in lockstep with the industry’s growth. But dimensional limitations for the vessel due to the size of the Princess Cays marina and the channel leading to the marina at Half Moon Cay presented challenges.
Sams said HAL conducted a worldwide search with numerous brokers to see if they could find an existing boat that could be retrofitted to meet the operator’s requirements. “It’s not as if these types of vessels are growing on trees,” he said.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der American Ship Review 2020-Ausgabe von Professional Mariner.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der American Ship Review 2020-Ausgabe von Professional Mariner.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Mariner's role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Mariners’ role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Piracy edges closer to home with wave of raids in southern Gulf
In the brief cellphone video recorded by a crewmember on the offshore supply vessel (OSV) Remas, the pirates walk back and forth on the deck of the ship, clenching their guns and using them to point as they order around the crew. Their faces are draped in clothing and bandanas.
Casualties
NTSB: Dredge hit Texas gas pipeline, causing fire that killed four
IMO emissions report raises new concerns about methane slip
A recent report from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reveals that global shipping emissions increased nearly 10 percent from 2012 to 2018, with the industry facing a growing challenge concerning methane slip.
Bay State brothers find industry niche by making old into new
Zero non-conformities is what you want to hear when the U.S. Coast Guard inspects your tugboat. Once you’ve prepared your vessel, the inspectors come aboard to peruse your paperwork. They ask you pointed questions, to which they expect straightforward answers. Perusal completed, they then scrutinize all of the related safety systems, from bilge to antennas — even the ship’s bell.
Signals
A year into the pandemic, thousands ‘essentially indentured’ on ships
Analysis points to faulty loading, low ballast in Golden Ray rollover
While the salvage of the sunken vehicle carrier Golden Ray has been delayed for months due to COVID-19 and the hurricane season, analysis by the U.S. Coast Guard has determined a possible cause for the rollover: a combination of vehicles placed too high on the ship’s decks, and not enough ballast water gave the placement of the cargo.
Seastreak newcomer pushing through dip in demand
Two years ago, Seastreak LLC took delivery of Seastreak Commodore, a 600-passenger fast ferry, from Gulf Craft of Franklin, La. Designed by Australia-based Incat Crowther, the vessel is the largest of its kind in the United States and was built to meet the burgeoning demand for service in the New York-New Jersey market.
New year in a new world: Navigating COVID's maritime realities
In a matter of days, the decorative time balls will drop, “Auld Lang Syne” will fill the air, and ships at anchor will sound their horns as the world welcomes in the new year.
Advanced props, rudders provide new efficiencies below the waterline
It took a decade or two from the invention of the marine propeller in the 19th century for the technology to become widely accepted. Thereafter, adoption has been nearly universal, but progress toward improved efficiencies has come in fits and starts.