By
Laura Hyde |
Incat Crowther has partnered with Gulf Craft to design and deliver a 300-passenger ferry for the US Virgin Islands. The ferry will operate on the route between Red Hook on the island of St. Thomas and Cruz Bay on the island of St. John.
Construction of the new ferry began in November 2023. The 104-foot (32-metre) vessel will replace two 28-metre vessels currently serving the St. Thomas to St. John route and will feature the latest diesel engine emission control technologies.
The vessel will be designed “with accessibility and an elevated customer experience in mind”, according to Incat Crowther. It will have five dedicated wheelchair accessible spaces and two Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant bathrooms. The main deck level will have a fully enclosed luggage room as well as integrated side ramps for safe and efficient boarding.
“Incat Crowther has a proven track record of designing and delivering tailored passenger ferries for operators throughout the Caribbean,” said Grant Pecoraro, Incat Crowther USA managing director. “We are pleased to be collaborating with our longstanding partner, Gulf Craft, to deliver another vessel to this region. Our team of naval architects understand that no two routes are the same. Our digital shipbuilding process enables us to carefully focus on specific operational requirements to ensure our designs are tailored specifically for local conditions, existing dockside infrastructure and with the operator and its customers in mind.”