California operator orders hybrid harbour tour boat

Harbor Breeze Cruises, a tour operator based in Long Beach, California, has placed an order for a new hybrid sightseeing vessel that will provide harbour tours, whale watch cruises, and dinner events in and around the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex.

Designed by Nic de Waal of New Zealand-based naval architecture firm Teknicraft Design, the 108-foot (32.9-metre) monohull vessel will be built to exceed US EPA Tier IV and California Air Resources Board (CARB) air quality requirements.

The vessel will have a hybrid battery propulsion system fitted with a selective catalytic reduction system and a diesel particulate filter. The system will feature twin 250kW traction motors and a 588kW BorgWarner energy storage system, allowing for emissions-free harbour tours.

The vessel is part of the Los Angeles Marine Emission Reduction (LA MER) project, which received a US$15 million grant from CARB's Advanced Technology Demonstration and Pilot Project program.

The vessel will feature multiple decks, a customised stadium seating platform on the bow, and a 350-passenger capacity.