Rodanthe, named for the beach town 35 miles north of Hatteras, is the first new ferry to ply the HatterasOcracoke Island route since 2006. Ferries on the route handle approximately 275,000 vehicles annually.
The 183-foot Rodanthe, a 40-vehicle, 300-passenger River-class ferry, will replace the 150-foot, 26-vehicle, 149-passenger Thomas A. Baum, a Hatteras-class vessel due for retirement sometime before 2021.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Ferry Division is the second largest in the U.S. behind Washington state. Four of its routes, including the HatterasOcracoke run, are free, and state subsidies keep tolls low for the other three.
As the need for more vehicle and passenger capacity increases, NCDOT is gradually replacing seven Hatteras-class ferries with River-class ferries.
Constructed at Bollinger Shipyards in Amelia, La., Rodanthe is the eighth NCDOT ferry fitted with Voith Schneider propellers (VSP). Southport, the first ferry in the fleet equipped with cycloidal drive propulsion, was designed by Schuller & Allan and built at Steiner Shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Ala., in 1996.
Rodanthe, designed by Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), is the first in the fleet with cycloidal units constructed in the U.S. at Voith’s plant in York, Pa. It is the sixth ferry that Seattle-based EBDG has designed for North Carolina, including the larger Sound-class vessels Swan Quarter and Sea Level connecting Ocracoke Island with Swan Quarter on the mainland and Cedar Island.
“The main challenges with respect to Voith Schneider propellers are optimizing the hull to provide good flow conditions for the propellers and structural integration with the vessel,” said Mike Johnson, project engineer at EBDG.
Bu hikaye Professional Mariner dergisinin American Ship Review 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Professional Mariner dergisinin American Ship Review 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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.
