Wesmar thruster for Georgian ferry

Bob Sentz, vice president, Wesmar, said that the 67ft T-Class ferry will be delivered in the autumn and will carry up to 150 passengers from downtown Savannah to the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center on Hutchinson Island.

The ferry is designed by the Jacksonville Naval Architectural firm of DeJong and Lebet for the Chatham Area Transit Authority, Savannah, Georgia. It is being built by Custom Steel Boats, Inc. of Merrit, Georgia.

Andy Lebet, naval architect for the project, said: “We’ve specified 20 to 30 Wesmar’s mostly because that is what the boat yards are asking for, and we are absolutely satisfied with them. The dual prop design with added thrust from counter rotation fits into a smaller tube without compromising the thrust and we like that for the vessels we design.”

The Mary Musgrove, will join two other ferries, affectionately called The Belles, to provide daily passage across the sometimes turbulent and swift Savannah River. Although less than a quarter mile wide, the crossing presents a strong current amidst a mix of tour boats, ferries, tugs and ocean-going vessels.