On Friday morning, December 12, at Pier 33 in San Francisco, Alcatraz Cruises introduced the Hornblower Hybrid, a wind-, solar- and diesel-powered hybrid vessel.
Published: January, 2009
The 64-foot long catamaran, which was previously a commercial diving boat, has undergone a retrofit, repower and refurbishment over the last several months at Bayside Boatworks in Sausalito, CA.
Alcatraz Cruises CEO Terry MacRae welcomed guests aboard and thanked many people for their support during the planning, design and construction of the vessel. He also noted that the innovation will continue as another hybrid vessel is being planned for service in San Francisco.
Brian O’Neill, Superintendent of the Golden Gate National Parks, welcomed guests aboard the Hybrid, saying, Alcatraz Cruises has demonstrated a sincere commitment to the environment by creating the Hornblower Hybrid. Alcatraz Cruises has fostered a successful partnership, making them one of the best concessioners I’ve have the privilege of working with.
The Hornblower Hybrid is a model of the potential power of alternative energies and creative engineering solutions. It uses power generated by two ten-foot-tall wind turbines and a photovoltaic solar array covering the awning on the top deck to run the navigation tools, lighting and other electronics on board the vessel. Excess power is stored in the main propulsion battery banks.
In addition to solar panels and wind turbines, the Hornblower Hybrid also has Tier 2 marine diesel engines. These cleaner, fuel-efficient engines reduce the amount of diesel fuel used, emissions and overall carbon footprint. The customized drive system allows the captain to monitor the energy needs of the vessel and select the most efficient power sources. For example, when the boat is idle at the dock the engines will shut off and the motors will be powered by energy stored in the battery banks.
The vessel also contains a number of other environmentally friendly materials. The carpeting contains post-consumer recycled materials, is recyclable and meets the U.S. Green Building Council LEED criteria for recycled content. A significant portion of the interior signage is printed on Plyboo, a composite material made from sustainable sources and containing no harmful chemicals. The countertops throughout the vessel are made from pieces of recycled vodka bottles manufactured by the local Richmond company Vetrazzo. The lighting throughout the vessel is LED, which requires a fraction of the energy of standard bulbs and provide an equal or greater amount of illumination.
The Hornblower Hybrid is not only the next step in Alcatraz Cruises’ goal of becoming the greenest concessioner in the National Park Service; with this vessel we hope to become a model of environmental innovation for the city of San Francisco, the state of California and the United States, said Scott Thornton, Vice President of Operations and General Manager of Alcatraz Cruises and Hornblower Cruises & Events.
The Hybrid will be a multipurpose vessel within the Alcatraz Cruises fleet, ferrying visitors to Alcatraz Island and Angel Island, as well as taking school groups and other passengers on cruises around the Bay. The vessel will also be available for private events. Information on chartering the vessel is available at www.alcatrazcruises.com/hybrid.
