NBBB to Build 3rd WSF 144-Car Superstructure

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) has been contracted by Vigor Industrial to construct the superstructure portion of the third Olympic Class 144-Car Washington State Ferry the M/V Chimacum. Nichols Brothers completed the superstructures for the first and second WSF 144-Car Ferry vessels delivered to Vigor for final assembly in March and December 2013. 

Nichols Brothers is responsible for construction of the grand block section of the vessel including the: upper car decks, exhaust stacks and pilothouses. Additional work has been awarded to NBBB including all superstructure piping, windows, stairs, ladders, all exterior hand rails, and completely painting the interior and exterior. The third superstructure will be more or less complete before arriving at Vigor’s facility in Seattle, WA. Construction will commence at Nichols Brothers Freeland facility in February 2015 with delivery scheduled April 2016. 

Nichols Brothers will use the same technique for launching the Superstructure as the Tokitae and Sammish. A complex hydraulic transfer system will move the 1100 ton superstructure approximately 600 feet from inside NBBB’s facility to a barge in Holmes Harbor. The barge will then transport the complete Superstructure to Vigor’s Seattle facility to join with the hull and complete final outfitting, dock and sea trials. 

NBBB is a complete new-build shipyard and full service repair facility. New-build projects currently underway at Nichols Brothers are two new 136’ x 44’ x 19’ ATB Tugs for Kirby Offshore, a new 115’ 23-car ferry for Wahkiakum County; while current repair projects consist of a 140’ x 40’ deck barge repair, a 52’ tug repair both of Western Construction, and a 114’ x 30’ Tug repair for Olympic Tug and Barge. In addition Nichols will begin construction of a new 140’ x 36’ x 7’ Ro-Ro Cargo Supply vessel in spring 2015.