51 October 29, 1998

Willard Marine Delivers Cummins-Powered Aquabus

Around the coasts of North America, from Boston to San Francisco, urban transit authorities are returning to ferries as people movers. Many of these are high tech and high speed catamarans capable of moving large numbers of commuters over several miles. The city of Long Beach has taken a slightly different tact in their richly refurbished waterfront. With a convention center, aquarium and marina on one shore of the river estuary and the retired ocean liner Queen Mary on the other shore alongside more splendid hotels, there was a need to move people the short, under one mile, distance between the two shores.

They found their solution in two well know southern California companies. Willard Marine of Anaheim, leaders in the construction of medium sized fibreglass vessels for the U.S. Navy and other customers, have 44 years in the business. In that time they have delivered 750 boats to the Navy. Willard was awarded the contract to build a pair of 49-passenger 40X12-foot ferries. Based on a proven military personnel hull with a 3.5-foot draft on a molded depth of 6.5 feet, the boats have been given a stylish and well appointed deck cabin with fore and aft hard top canopies.

As other municipal transit authorities have done, the Transit Authority of the City of Long Beach contracted out the operation of the two vessels, "Aquabus I" and "Aquabus II". Catalina Express, operators of seven of their own larger passenger vessels between Long Beach and Santa Catalina Island, took on the job. Greg Bombard of Catalina Express explains that they maintain their lead on the long runs with three criteria --- comfort, frequency of service and speed. On the short Long Beach run the three important criteria are that the boats must be: fun, frequent, and low cost.

The Aquabus vessels, with their single six cylinder Cummins 6BT rated 180 HP@2500 RPM turning into a ZF IRM 280A 2:1 gear, have a design speed of 14 knots, but are operated on the short run at a leisurely five or six knots.

While there is no subsidy for the Aquabus operation, the company has run a six month introductory rate of $1.00 per person through the second half of 1998. This company plans to increase this to $2.00 in the 1999 season. With the growing popularity of Long Beach as a travel destination the future of this little ferry seems secure.

(Please note that good photos are available from Catalina Express.)

For more information on Cummins engines in Southern California contact:

Mike Hoffman
Marine Sales Manager
Cummins Cal Pacific, Inc.
Irvine, CA
Phone: 949-253-6000 Fax: 949 253-6070

For more information on Willard Marine:

William C. Christie
Program Manager
Willard Marine, Inc.
1250 North Grove St.
Anaheim, Calif
Phone: 714, 666-2150 Fax: 714, 632-8136
E-mail webmaster@willardmarine.com

For photos and more information on the operation of the Aquabus contact:

Greg Bombard
Catalina Express Inc.
Long Beach, Calif.
Phone 310 519-7971, ext. 1002 Fax: 310 548-7389

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