b"ciation. The 152' vessel will carry up to 30 vehicles and 150 passengers on the route between Miami and Fisher Island. Launched ahead of schedule, the vessel will now proceed through outfitting, systems integration, sea tri-als and final commissioning ahead of delivery, which is expected in early 2026.The vessel will be the fifth ferry in the community asso-VESSEL:Falcon ciations ferry fleet which provides 24-hour service. The OPERATOR:Fisher Island Community Association design by Elliott Bay Design Group, Seattle, with a flat NAVAL ARCHITECT:Elliott Bay Design Group vehicle deck and enclosed passenger cabin, allows quick BUILDER:Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. loadingandturnaround.Designtooksixmonths,fol-TYPE:Passenger and vehicle ferry lowed by 20 months of vessel construction at Easterns Allanton Facility. With a 12' hull depth and 8' draft, the InearlyNovember,EasternShipbuildingGroupInc.ferry is propelled by 1,200 BHP turning at 1,800 rpm, launchedaferryforaFloridaislandcommunityasso- according to Easterns specs.VESSEL:Holly BeachOPERATOR:Louisiana Department ofTransportation and DevelopmentPHOTOS THIS PAGE FROM TOP: EASTERN SHIPBUILDING GROUP, INC; ELLIOTT BAY DESIGN GROUPNAVAL ARCHITECT:Elliott Bay Design GroupBUILDER:Thoma-SeaTYPE:Passenger and vehicle ferryA hybrid ferry in the works for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is expected to be delivered in 2026 to serve the Cameron crossing in Cameron Parish. The Subchapter H vessel will have the capacity for up to 32 vehicles and 265 passengers and will replace the Cameron II, built in 1964. The ferry, Holly Beach, will be end-loading in order to load and unload large commercial vehicles. Two boats will be The 190' ferry will be equipped with the Siemens Bluebuiltsothatferryservicewillcontinueuninterrupted Drive Eco hybrid propulsion system and is designed towhen one vessel undergoes required dry docking as per operate in a hybrid mode. It has CAT C18 main genera- U.S. Coast Guard regulations. In the past, when Cameron tors. In hybrid mode the diesel engine will share load withII was in dry dock, a temporary side-loading ferry was put thepropulsionbatterieswherebythepropulsionsysteminto service. While this allowed passenger vehicles to cross, will maximize the usage of the battery energy capabilities,trucks longer than about 50 feet were unable to use the fer-resulting in lower exhaust emissions. It will have enhancedry and had to detour approximately 100 miles around the maneuveringcapabilitiesprovidedbyfourazimuthingCalcasieu Ship Channel. The new vessels will allow ferry thrusters by Thrustmaster. service of commercial vehicles to continue uninterrupted.47 DECEMBER 2025"