On March 21, 2017, the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) christened the Hydrus, the first of seven new vessels to join the San Francisco Bay Ferry fleet over the next three years. The 400-passenger vessel will officially enter service in April 2017, serving the Central Bay routes of San Francisco to Alameda, Oakland and Harbor Bay.
“The Hydrus is setting the world standard for low emissions and minimized environmental impact,” said Retired United States Coast Guard Vice Admiral Jody Breckenridge, WETA Board of Directors chair. “It has been designed for efficient, optimized operation, with features that support passenger comfort and desired amenities. We are proud to welcome this new vessel to the SF Bay Ferry fleet.”
The Hydrus was designed by Incat Crowther and built by Vigor, formerly Kvichak Marine. Features of the $15.1 million Hydrus include:
- 135’ passenger catamaran
- Cruising speed: 27 knots
- Capacity: 400 passengers
- Bike capacity: 50
- Tier III engines
- Lightweight aluminum construction
- Designed for high passenger on-boarding and off-boarding, critical to achieving fast turnaround times
- Low noise and vibration levels for enhanced passenger comfort
- Efficient, custom propellers
- Low-wake hullform maximizes waterline length, which lowers resistance and enables increased speed in the Oakland estuary
The Hydrus was funded by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services State Proposition 1B ($4 million); Metropolitan Transportation Commission Regional Measure 2 ($8.3 million); and Alameda County Transportation Commission Measure B/BB ($4.7 million).
Tuesday’s event also marked WETA’s sixth anniversary of providing ferry service. Over the past six years, WETA has seen a 74 percent increase in ridership and now carries more than 2.7 million riders a year from nine terminals throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. To address the increased demand for ferry service, WETA is investing $465 million in assets and infrastructure — including new terminals, maintenance and operations facilities, and vessels — to expand ferry service. New vessel construction is $175 million of the overall capital expenditure.
“The Hydrus and the six additional vessels coming on-line over the next three years will help us meet the increased need for ferry service and realize our vision as set forth in the 2016 WETA strategic plan: a robust network of 44 vessels, serving five times today’s ridership by 2035, with wait times of 15 minutes or less during peak commute hours,” said Nina Rannells, WETA executive director.
