September 22 - The construction of the first of two LNG-powered con-ro ships for Crowley Maritime Corporation's liner services group - El Coquí - is now 25 percent complete and on schedule for a 2017 delivery.
The two Commitment Class ships - El Coquí and Taíno - are currently under construction at VT Systems subsidiary VT Halter Marine. The first steel was cut for the second vessel in May 2015.
The con-ro ships will be 219.5 m long, 32.3 m wide, have a deep draft of 10 m, and an approximate deadweight capacity of 26,500 tonnes. Cargo capacity will be approximately 2,400 teu, with additional space for nearly 400 vehicles in an enclosed ro-ro garage.
The new Jones Act vessels will replace Crowley's towed triple-deck barge fleet, which has served the Puerto Rico/Caribbean trade since the early 1970s. The two ships are scheduled for delivery in the second and fourth quarter of 2017 respectively.
Watch a video of the vessels' progress below:
The steel cutting ceremony for Crowley's second con-ro vessel.
