Sentinel Boat Co., Wetumpka, Ala., has delivered a 64.8'x28'x8' passenger/tour boat to Apostle Island Cruises, Bayfield, Wis.

Designed by Sterling Marine, Fairhope, Ala., the Archipelago is a composite catamaran powered by twin Caterpillar C18s, producing 803 hp at 2,100 rpm each. The Cats connect to ZF 5-bladed NiBrAl KCA props through ZF marine gears with 1.74:1 reduction ratios. The engines/gears are iso-mounted for a smoother quieter ride. Seatorque provided the enclosed shaft systems. The vessel's top speed is 26 knots and cruise speed is 21 knots.

With a draft of 3.25', Archipelago tours the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior and is certified for 149 passengers. It has seating on the upper deck for 92 passengers, seating in the main cabin for 104 and seating on the aft deck for 12, which allows for improved passenger comfort.

The fiberglass composite vessel also features ZF controls and a Cummins Onan MDKDN genset, sparking 13.5 kW of electrical power. Archipelago carries a three-person crew.

The boat is USCG certified, Subchapter T and was delivered earlier this month.

 

Ken Hocke has been the senior editor of WorkBoat since 1999. He was the associate editor of WorkBoat from 1997 to 1999. Prior to that, he was the editor of the Daily Shipping Guide, a transportation daily in New Orleans. He has written for other publications including The Times-Picayune. He graduated from Louisiana State University with an arts and sciences degree, with a concentration in English, in 1978.