Alan C. McClure Associates (ACMA), a naval architecture and engineering firm, recently announced that the company has been selected to develop shipyard construction-level detail drawings for the next generation of TxDOT ferries. ACMA will also be responsible for ABS and USCG compliance, as well as weight monitoring for assembly lifts during the construction period. The 160-ft double-ended, geared diesel-powered automobile and passenger ferries will have the ability to carry approximately 28 vehicles and 150 passengers. They will join the fleet operated by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) that offers free ferry service between Port Aransas on Mustang Island, and Harbor Island, a continuation of Texas State Route 361.
Both vessels are being built at Southwest Shipyards on Brady Island in Harrisburg, Texas with funding for the first ferry being provided by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The second, and identical, ferry is being funded by the State of Texas. The vessels will be built under ABS rules, Vessels for Service on Rivers and Intracoastal Waterways, and will be certificated by the United States Coast Guard as a Subchapter ‘T’ vessel. Computer lofting and general steel quantities will be developed by Advance Fabricating Inc of League City, Texas (www.advancefab.net).
“With the work we’ll perform on the new Port Aransas ferries, ACMA will have specific involvement on all of the major ferry systems in Texas, from concept design, detailed construction drawings, owner representation and vessel delivery,” said ACMA Vice President Darrel Harvey. “During our earlier assignment on the 264-ft Galveston/Bolivar Island ferry John W. Johnson we learned a number of valuable lessons. Today, we’re applying those lessons to future projects by adapting our thinking to include more cost-efficient processes that better reflect current shipyard needs.”
(www.acma-inc.com)