Moose Boats, Vallejo, Calif., has been awarded a contract for the construction of multiple 75' semi-displacement USCG, Subchapter-T 28 passenger aluminum catamaran crewboats for Westar Marine Services, San Francisco. Construction of the first vessel will begin in the spring of 2017. Westar is a women-owned and operated company that specializes in marine operations and customer service.

The shipyard designed the cabin superstructure and general arrangement in-house with collaborative input from Westar. Incat Crowther, Lafayette, La., will provide naval architecture services for the final design and USCG Subchapter-T compliance. The contract to build the 75' catamarans for Westar exemplifies the synergy created from the September 2016 merger of Lind Marine and Moose Boats, shipyard officials said. The Lind/Moose merger has also introduced a new production facility with deepwater access on Mare Island’s Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, Calif., expanding Moose Boats’ capabilities to include larger commercial vessels into its product line.

Twin Volvo D13 turbo diesel engines with Volvo IPS3 drives will provide main propulsion for the aluminum catamarans achieving a service speed of 25 knots and designed for enhanced close quarters maneuverability. Engine, steering and joystick maneuvering controls in both the raised pilothouse and the upper level aft steering station are designed to provide captains with optimal visibility for bow and stern operations.

The new crewboats will also be capable of carrying 20,000 lbs. of cargo to and from anchorages and piers within San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay and the Sacramento River Delta as well as offshore.

Westar Marine Services has been headquartered in San Francisco since 1976 with a Seattle operation for the past five years offering a diversity of services including marine construction support, tank barge assist and escort, specialty barge services, ship store’s deliveries, and water taxi services. The new vessels will allow Westar to expand its cargo and passenger carrying capabilities for its wide and varied customer base.

 

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.