1 

### 108 Pax High Speed **Ferry Case Study (**  **Private Entity)**  **June 25, 2013**



### Introduction
The 55 foot long ferry was construct ed in 200 6 and is a catamaran st yl e passenger - onl y ferry which is certified to carry 108 passengers. The vessel’s service speed is app roximately 25 knots. The ferry has two decks with the main deck being the entry deck

.

 Main Deck

– The main deck is a bout 55 feet long and 21.5 feet wide ( approximately 1,200 square feet) and is provided with two entry points 1 , one on each side of the vessel in the exterior stern area

. From the stern area, an exterior stair connects the upper deck

. Two entry doors connect the interior main deck seating cabin , one on each side of the stair

. The two doors have 6 inch high threshold s (coamings) which ar e ramped on both sides. Between the stair and portside entry

door, a small golf bag storage area is provided. In the cabin, two uni

sex toilet rooms are provided in a cluster. On e toilet room is located on each outboard side of the cabin’s after bulkhea d (wall) , on opposite sides of the snack bar

. Between the two entry doors a snack bar is provided. Forward of the snack bar and two toilet rooms the cabin contains a seating area. Two 30 inch wide fore/aft aisle s divide the seating area into three secti ons (starboard side, middle, and portside). Two freight storage areas are provided in the cabin, one between each toilet room and side seating section. Forward of the cabin seating area, an exterior bow area is provided that contain s one of the evacuatio n areas which is only open to passengers in emergencies. Access to the bow area is up two steps and through a cabin window. At the bow, a narrow stair connects the upper deck.

1 An entry point is where passengers embark or disembark a vessel. Not every entry point is used at each stop on the ferry’s route.2 **Figure 1. Main Deck**

**– Original Design** 

 Upper Deck

- The upper deck (second deck) is a bout 34 feet long and 20 feet wide ( approximately 680 square feet)

. At the stern area, an exterior stair connect s the main deck and divides the external seating area on the upper deck into two parts. A door connects the external seating area w ith the upper deck cabin which contains an internal seating area. Forward of the interior seating, the pilot house is provided. A narrow steep stair on the port side of the vessel, used only by passengers in emergencies, connects the pilot house with the open bow area on the main deck.

**Figure 2** 
**. Upper (Second)**  **Deck**

**– Original Design** 



### M **ethodology** A representative of the Access Board reviewed the original designs of the vessel with a representative 2 of the ferry to identify

passenger features that would not meet the 2006 draft passenger vessel accessibility guidelines 3 . The ferry

representative proposed new designs for the passenger features that would meet the draft guidelines and estimated how much the new design s would add to a new vessel’s cons truction cost. This case stud y report principall y focuses on the impacts to the original 55 foot design.
The Access Board has updated the study to represent the requirements in the proposed passenger vessel accessibility guidelines. The 2006 costs rec orded in the 2008 draft of the study (available on the Board’s website) that applied to the proposed guidelines were

2 Although the report references decisions made by the ferry representative, it should be noted that the Access Board hired a consul tant (acceptable to the ferry representative) to provide most impact information (including cost estimates) which was used by the ferry representative in the case study decision making process. 3 The 2006 draft guidelines, as amended by Board action at the 2007 and April 2008 meetings.3

multiplied by

1.19 48 4 to produce 2011 values. The ferry representative has not reviewed the updates. 55 Foot Ferry (Option 1)

. The ferry representative reported that the cost to construct the original vessel was approximately $1.9 million in 2006 dollars , updated to $2.27 million in 2011 dollars . The ferry

representative noted that because of slip size limitations in the homeport harbor and because they wanted a smaller vessel (cheaper to operate) to balance off their larger 65 foot ferry , the new designs of the ferry should not result in a longer or wider vessel. Based on the vessel length of 55 feet and width of 21.5 feet being unchange d, the ferry

representative estimated that the new designs would add approximately

$ 2 4,700 to the vessel’s (updated) construction costs, an increase of about 1 percent. The new designs would also result in the loss of 6 to 8 fixed seats 5 . Including the f ive square feet loss in the reduction of the golf club storage area, at least 2 3 square feet of freight storage out of the original 1 15 square feet is lost (about 2 0 percent), but life jacket storage space is increased at the bow b y 1 4 square feet 6

. 65 Fo ot Ferry (Option 2)

. Indiscussing the loss in seating and freight storage impact , the ferry representative noted that if the provisions of the draft guidelines were mandatory (generally , the same provisions that are in the proposed guidelines) , they woul d probably have had to build a larger vessel to compensate for the loss of critical seating and freight space. As freight is generally passenger luggage, if passengers cannot easily store their luggage, their desire to use their ferry service is impacted. Carrying golfers with their golf bags and other luggage represents a sizable cliental. The 55 foot vessel is on the margin of what the compan y projected it would really need. It is estimated a 65 foot vessel would cost approximately $ 2. 7 5 million to $ 2

. 87 million in 20 11 dollars and (roughly) an additional $ 1 5 , 4 00 to $ 22 , 4 00 would be needed to make it comply with the proposed guidelines. As a 65 foot vessel has 149 seats, where space is needed to provide accessibility features highlighted in the anal ys is of the 55 foot design, seats would be removed. It is (roughl y) estimated that space needs for accessibility would reduce the seating capacity to around 125 seats (which is above the 108 capacity of the 55 foot design). Going from a 55 foot ferry to a 65 foot ferry

complying with the proposed guidelines represents a $ 49 3 , 4 00 to $ 6 19 , 4 00 (updated) increase, about 22 to 27 percent increase over the cost of the original 55 foot vessel. By going with a 65 foot vessel, the fuel consumption would increase b y an estimated 18 percent. The ferry representative noted that it may not be necessary to have a 65 foot vessel to provide the capacit y of the 55 foot vessel, but recognized that developing designs between 55 feet and 65 feet (which are the two proven des igns provided b y the shipyard) would incur a redesign cost of about 3 to 3.5 percent , and would create man y unknowns about

4 1.194773214 and results have been rounded. 5 If the 2 fold

- down seats at the 2 w heelchair spaces could not be used because the wheelchair spaces are occupied by wheelchairs or used to compensate for the loss in freight storage, 8 fixed seats are lost in the new designs. 6 The ferry representative is unsure of how readily usable the life jacket storage space would be for passenger freight due to its location from the stern entry doors.4

vessel operating characteristics . The following table estimates the cost of various size vessels between 55 feet and 65 feet, but no determination has been made as to which alterative design would be the minimum necessary to provide the same capacity of the 55 foot vessel as well as meet the requirements in the proposed guidelines.
Vessel Size Redesign Cost

(3

- 3.5%) Access

Costs Othe r Cost

Increase New Vessel Total

Cost Increase Percentage

Increase 55 x 21.5 $ 24.7 K 1 58 x 22.25 $ 68 K to $ 80 K $ 1 5 K

22 K $ 136 K

- $1 71 K $ 21 9 K

- $2 73 K 10

- 12
60 x 22.75 $ 68 K to $ 80 K $ 1 5 K

22 K $ 232 K

- $2 89 K $ 31 5 K

- $3 91 K 14

– 17
63 x 23.5 $ 68 K to $ 80 K $ 1 5 K

22 K $3 76 K

- $ 47 1 K $ 45 9 K

- $ 5 73 K 2 0

– 25
65 x 24 $ 1 5 K

22 K $ 4 78 K

- $5 97 K $4 9 3 K

- $ 6 19 K 22

– 27 Note: The 58, 60, and 63 foot vessel values in “Other Cost Increase” were developed from ratios using square footage costs for the 55 and 65 foot vessels. The Board believes these values overstate the costs, as the larger propulsion system of the 65 foot vessel probably excessively influenced the cost outcomes of the 58 and 60 foot vessels in particular. The ferry representative also noted that bank financing would not have been available for a 65 foot vessel when the decision was made to fund the 55 foot vessel. Therefore, the ferry service would have had to delay adding another vessel and slowed the growth of the compan y. Actions

. Actions taken on features in the original 55 foot vessel design to create new design s meeting the draft guidelines for a new 55 foot vessel are discussed below , as updated to reflect the requirements of the proposed guidelines . The case study sought to identify actions th at 1) have significant impacts , 2) incurred additional costs but did not hav e significant impacts , or 3) have other outcomes which should be noted

. An action is identified as having a significant impact where the redesign of the feature would add more than 0.5 percent to vessel’s construction costs; would substantially reduce the vessel’s usable space or necessitate an increase in the vessel’s size; or would present major operational issues. An action is identified as incurring an additional co st but no t having a significant impact where a specific cost can be attributed to the redesign of a feature but it does not meet the criteria for a significant impact.



### Actions **That Have Significant**  **Impact s**  **1. Toilet Rooms**  **/Snack Bar** In the 55 foot design, two small uni

- sex toilet rooms are provided, in a cluster, on the main deck. The toilet rooms are located on opposite sides of the vessel with the snack bar between them and are approximately 51 inches deep and 31 inches wide. The proposed guidelines requir e one toilet room in this cluster of two toilet rooms of the same use to be5

accessible. V213.2 Exception 4. The ferry representative proposed in the new designs to enlarge the port side toilet room. This action (which is principally engineering design w ork) is estimated to increase the cost to construct the new vessel by $3, 8 00. To increase the width of the toilet room, about 2 3 square feet of freight space is lost out of the 5 3 square feet available on the port side. In addition, as the depth of the toilet room is increased to 60 inches, this increase moved the port side stern door about nine inches toward the starboard side. This move, combined with providing a maneuvering clearance (discussed below) at the port side stern door, required the ferry representative to convert the golf bag storage closet (of about nine square feet) into a smaller capacity storage rack (of about four square feet) located on the inside edge of stern door maneuvering clearance. Therefore, a total of 28 square feet of stor age space (including five square feet in the golf bag locker) is loss

. Also, because of the increased depth of the toilet room, the width of the snack bar had to be reduced b y 10 square feet to i nsure a 42 inch wide maneuvering clearance is provided at th e push side of the toilet room door

. The ferry representative estimated the reduced snack bar size would have a minimal impact on their revenue.

**Figure 3. Port Side Corner of Main Deck**

**– Original and New Layouts**  **(not to scale)** With changes in the por

t side seating section ( see issue # 3 below) which compensated for the loss of some storage space, the new designs lost 2 3 square feet of storage. The l oss of freight storage space due to the larger toilet room is one of the factors that led the ferry repr esentative to indicat e a larger vessel is needed. This is classified as a significant impact.
**2 . Ceiling Height**  In the 55 foot design, the ceiling height of the main deck and upper deck cabins is more than 80 inches, except on the main deck near the b ow. The clearance along the forward circulation path which runs across the width of the vessel is less than 80 inches due to the curvature of the forward window s and projection of the bow stair. The proposed guidelines require all passenger circulation p aths to have 80 inches of vertical clearance or have guard rails or other barriers 27 inches maximum in height separating areas having less than 80 inches of vertical clearance. V204 and V307.4.6

The ferry representative proposed in the new designs to increase the depth of the life jacket lockers (e.g

. , cabinets with top lids) by 3.5 inches which are provided along the front of the main deck, from the starboard side to the area where the bow stair projects into the cabin. This increased the footprint of these lockers b y 4 square feet. In addition, the ferry representative proposed for the projecting bow stair, to also increase the depth of the lift jacket lockers under the stair by 28 inches. This increased the footprint of these lockers b y 10 square feet , but made the forward seats in the port side seating section unusable because no leg space i s now available. The ferry

representative decided to remove these 2 seats because the space was needed to provide 2 wheelchair spaces located at the aft end of the port side seating section 7 and could be used to regain some loss freight storage space. By increasing the depth of these forward lockers, the forward circulation path is reduced in width 8 but the entire path had a vertical clearance of at least 80 inches.
These actions are estimated to increase the cost to construct the new vessel by $ 2,300

. The ferry representative is unsure how readil y usable 9 the new storage space at the bow w ould be to passengers to help compensate for the loss freight stora ge space in the back of the cabin and suspected it would just be used to hold life jackets. The loss of seating is one of the factors that led the ferry representative to indicate a larger vessel is needed. This is classified as a significant impact.
**3**
**. Transportation Seats**  In the 55 foot design, the vessel has 108 fixed seats, with 56 interior seats provided in the main deck cabin and 28 exterior and 24 interior provided on the upper deck. No designated wheelchair spaces are provided in the vessel. The seating areas on this ferry would be classified b y the proposed guidelines as transportation seating areas. V106.5. As a total of 108 fixed seats are provided in this ferry (none at tables), the guidelines require 2

7 The ferry representative did ev aluate moving the port side seating section (contain 2 wheelchair spaces) aft into 6 square feet used by the port side storage area, but this would also impact the location of the port side engine exhaust stack (and for aesthetic reasons also the starboard side exhaust stack). 8 The cross aisle, after the reduction, has a width of 27 inches which meets US Coast Guard requirements. As the proposed guidelines do not require any elements or spaces at the forward end of the main deck to be accessible, the cros s aisle is not required to be part of an accessible route or accessible means of escape. 9 Passengers carry and deposit their own luggage. Depending on the size of the luggage, bringing luggage to the bow could be difficult.7

wheelchair spaces be dispersed in the seating area on the main deck 10 (the entry deck)

. V22 2.3. The ferry representative proposed in the new designs to remove 4 seats at the after end of the port seating sections to provide 2 adjacent wheelchair spaces (each 33 inches b y 48 inches) set up for a forward approach and facing the port side of the ferry

. However, to make a 90 degree turn off of an aisle which is less than 36 inches wide, the proposed guidelines require the combined two wheelchair spaces to be 72 inches wide 11

. To temper the l oss of fixed seats, the ferry representative proposed to add 2 fold

- down seats on the short bulkhead (wall) which separates the port side seating section from the port side storage area . The fold

- down seats have springs which keep them in the up position so as not to project into the wheelchair spaces when unoccupied 12 . Therefore, to provide the 2 wheelchair spaces, onl y 2 fixed seats are lost. This action is estimated to increase the cost to construct the new vessel by $ 1,300

. The ferry representative note d that with some minor modifications, freight containment features could be easily

installed by

crew members . This would enable the 2 adjacent wheelchair spaces (2 4 square feet) to hold freight when persons who use wheelchairs are not passengers (although the 2 fold down seats could not be used in such cases thereb y reducing the seating capacity to 10 0 seats). The ferry

representative estimated about one to two p assengers who use wheelchairs ride the vessel each month , and the vessel makes five round trips a day

.

**Figure 5. Wheelchair Spaces with Fold**
**- Down Seats** 

10 The proposed guidelines do n ot require an onboard accessible route betw een the main deck and upper deck (nor is one provided), see V206.2.1 Exception 1. Therefore, section V222.3.3 requires the 2 w heelchair spaces to be placed in the seating area on the main deck. 11 Although an onbo ard accessible route is not allowed to overlap the wheelchair spaces (WcS), the accessible route must be positioned to facilitate a 90 degree turn. Therefore, as the accessible route stops at the WcS, section V403.5.2.2 would require the combined WcS to b e wider. Normally, two adjacent WcS are each 33 inches wide, allowing one wheelchair to park in a space 30 inches wide and the other to have a space 36 inches wide to maneuvering. To comply with the proposed, one space is still 30 inches wide but the oth er wo uld need a 42 inch width (30+42=72). The seat pitch (distance between seats) is about 34.5 inches. Therefore, two rows of seats occupy 69 inches in length. The 2 seats removed (issue #2) for head clearance reasons provide space for the additional three inches. The remaining space is used for storage (issue #4). 12 As the fold

- down seats do not require passenger operation for passengers who use wheelchairs to occupy the wheelchair spaces, the fold

- down seats are not subject to the operable parts requirements in section V309. Although the guidelines do not allow vessel features (fold

- down seats) to project into wheelchair space clearances , the study assumes DOT wo uld allow such operational solutions.8

In addition, as discussed above, 2 seats were lost to address the ceiling height issue by increasing the depth of the forward life jacket lockers. Also, as discussed below (issue #6) , to p rovide a clear deck space at the accessible lif e jacket locker required in the upper deck cabin, 2 other fixed seats are lost in the new design s
. Summary

- Based on all impacts, the new designs have 10 2 fixed seats ( 2 of which are fold

- down), a reductio n of 6 seats ( 8 seats, if fold

- down seats can’t be used) when compared to the original layout of the ferry . Although 6 seats are lost, the ferry repre sentative noted the vessel could still be certified to carry 108 passengers but passengers would not be s old tickets without seats being available. No estimate on revenue loss was provided. As the ferry was designed to the minimum transportation needs of the compan y, the loss of seating is one of the factors that lead the ferry representative to indicate a larger vessel would be needed. This is classified as a significant impact. **4. Freight Storage** In the 55 foot design, freight (which primaril y consists of passenger luggage) could be stored internall y in a nine square f oo t golf bag storage locker, and two 5 3 square feet storage areas (one on each side of the vessel in the main deck cabin) . This represents about 1 15 square feet of dedicated internal storage space on the main deck . As mentioned above, with the enlargement of the port side toilet room 28 square feet of storage space is loss. In addition, to connect the port side group of 2 wheelchair spaces, the proposed guidelines require an accessible route w ith at least 32 inch clear width

. V206 and V403.5.1 Exception 2

. T o provide a 32 inch wide a ccessible route pass the ceiling support ( mounted next to the aft

- most port

- side chair in the center

- seating section), about three square feet of storage space is needed to provide the 32 inch clearance , bringing to total loss in storage to 31 square feet

. However, with the 6 seats being removed in the port side seating section and not all the gained space is needed to provide the 2 wheelchair spaces, about eight square feet was available in the new designs to be add to the port side storage area.
There fore, the above actions resulted in a combined loss of 2 3 square feet out of 11 5 available . This equal s a

bout a 2 0 percent loss , but life jacket storage space is increased at the bow by

1 4 square feet 13

. 

### Actions That Incur Additional Costs But Do Not Ha**ve Significant Impact**  **s**
**5 . Exterior Door**  **s** In the 55 foot design, three exterior doors are used by passengers, one at the after end of the upper deck cabin and two at the after end of the main deck cabin. The proposed guidelines

13 The ferry representative is unsure of how readil y usable the life jacket storage space would be for passenger freight due to its location from the stern entry doors.9

require one door on the m ain deck and the door on the upper deck 14 to be accessible. These doors serve the required onboard accessible routes on the main deck and upper deck, and required accessible means of escape 15 that connect s the main deck cabin with the stern area
. V206 and V207. Actions to provide conforming doors are described below and are estimated to increase the cost to construct the new vessel by $ 7,500

. Maneuvering Clearances

- The two outward swinging doors on the main deck , equipped with closures and passenger ope rated latches, are tightly located between features of the ferry which limit the approach paths to nearl y the width of the doors. In general, the proposed guidelines require non - automatic accessible doors to have maneuvering clearances on both sides. V40 4.2.4. To provide the additional space at the main deck port side door for its maneuvering clearances and allow the adjustment of the door location due to the toilet room enlargement ( mention ed above ) , the ferry representative proposed in the new designs to remove the golf bag storage closet and replace it with a storage rack located on the inside of the port side stern door. This creation of the golf bag storage rack then required the ferry

representative to propose to reduce the counter space at the sna ck bar. As clearances existed on the sides of the upper deck door, only minor adjustments are needed in the new designs to provide it with conforming maneuvering clearances. The costs to provide the maneuvering clearances are included in the costs for other work at the doors.
Clear Width

- Three exterior doors have clear opening widths which are at least 32 inches. However, at the four corners of the openings, the radius corners (versus squared corners) are provided because they add to the structural strength of the bulkhead s (wall s ) within which the doors are located. At the radiuses, the clear width of the doors is less than 32 inches. The proposed guidelines require the clear width at accessible doors to be 32 inches minimum and prohibit projectio ns into the required clear width in the area of the opening which is less than 34 inches off the deck surface . V404.2.3 . The ferry representative proposed to provide one main deck door and the upper deck door in the new designs with squared corners inste ad of providing wider doors with rounded corners. This action is estimated to have an insignificant cost impact on the new designs. However, the impact of structural strength reductions could not be determined during the period of this case study

. Thres hold Height s
. Th e three exterior doors are required b y the US Coast Guard (USCG) to be weathertight and have six inch high coamings (door thresholds ). The two doors on the main deck have short steep ramps on both sides and the upper deck door has no ramp s. The proposed guidelines require one door on the main deck and the door on the upper deck to be accessible

. Where high coamings are required by the USCG at accessible doors, the guidelines allow either (1) a ramp on each side of the coaming provided the door is

14 Although vertical access is not required by V206.2.1 Exception 1 to the upper deck, section V206.2.2 still requires an accessible route connecting elements and spaces which are required to be accessible and therefore the upper deck exterior passenger door must be accessible, including a ramping system to address the coaming. 15 See further discussion under “Accessible Means of Escape and St airs” below

.10

automatic, or (2) a ramp only on one side. V404.2.5 .2

. Where maneuvering clearances are required, the maneuvering clearances are permitted to function as the above coaming ramps. V404.2. 5.2.1 and V404.2.5.2.2. T he guidelines also do not re quire the coaming ramps to go to the top of the coaming but may end 3⁄4 inches below the top to provide a vertical surface to which the weathertight door can seal to prevent water leakage 16

. V404.2.5 Exception

. The non

- sealing side of the door is not allowe d by the guidelines to have a vertical surface of more than 1⁄4 inch , or 1⁄2 inch beveled.

**Figure 6**  **. Coaming (Threshold) 1.5 Inch es**  **High** The ferry representative proposed in the new designs to seek a waiver 17 from the USCG to allow the door coaming to be reduced to 1 .5 inches

. With this reduction in coaming height, on the exterior side of the coaming, a 36 inch long portion of the maneuvering clearance at a 1:48 slope would slope up to a point 3⁄4 inch below the top of the 1.5 inch es high coaming

. The 3⁄4 i nch vertical surface above the deck surface would provide the weathertight door sealing surface required by the USCG. On the inside of the door coaming, a 48 inch long portion of the maneuvering clearance at a 1:48 maximum slope would slope up to a point 1⁄4 inch below the top of the coaming. To grant the waiver, the ferry representative expects the USCG to require all down flooding points in the main deck cabin to be eliminated by adding watertight hatches and suitable deck drains. These actions are estim ated to increase the cost to construct the new vessel by $ 6,800

. Although onl y two of the three exterior doors had to be accessible, because of trip and fall liability /safet y reasons, all door thresholds need to be the same on the main deck

. Therefore, the above threshold changes are also proposed to be made at the starboard side stern door , however maneuvering clearances beyond the door width were not provided

. The cost of this action is included in the above costs for addressing door threshold access

.

16 For purposes of the case study, it is assumed the door would need a 3/4 inch vertical surface to meet door sealing requirements o f the administrative authority (the US Coast Guard for this vessel). 17 The ferry representative had received a waiver from the US Coast Guard (USCG) for a similar situation and is cautiously optimistic the USCG would grant a waiver in this case study new design situation. How ever, if no w aiver is granted, the impacts of providing a ramping system over six inch high coamings wo uld seriously impact the new designs of the vessel on both the main and upper decks. For example, the stern door would have to be moved forward one foot to provide space for an exterior ramp and landing. If the inside of the door had a ramp, the golf bag storage rack could not meet its accessibility requirements because no level (i.e., 1:48) clear deck space could be provided at it and the interior ramp’s landing would require removal of seating.11

Vertical Clearance s - The vertical clearance at the main deck passenger doors is less than 78 inches due to the ramps over the six inch coamings . The proposed guidelines require all doors used b y passengers to have at least 78 inches of vertical clearance to provide access for passengers who are blind or visually impaired. V204 and V307.4 Exception 1. Where coamings are present, the guidelines allow the vertical measurement to be taken from the finish ed deck surface adjacent to the coamings. V307.4 E xception 2. Where ramps are provided at the coamings, the finish ed deck surface would be the top of the ramp surface.
With the new coaming height of 1 .5 inches , the ferry representative proposed to provide slightly larger exterior doors which would pro vide the 78 inch minimum vertical clearance to the door stop . The action on the three doors is estimated to increase the cost to construct the new vessel by

$ 700

. **6 . Life Jacket Storage**  In the 55 foot design, the only passenger storage facilities pro vided on the ferry are life jacket storage facilities (which are used b y passengers in emergencies) and are located in the three seating areas (i.e., main deck cabin, upper deck cabin and upper deck exterior). The proposed guidelines require that one life jacket storage facility in each of the three spaces be accessible. V 225.2. At an accessible storage facility , a clear deck space is required to hold a wheelchair . V309.2. The hardware of an accessible storage facility (such as a cabinet or chest) is r equired to be operable by one hand, not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist, and not require a force greater than 5 pounds to operate. V309.4. The ferry representative proposed to modify the storage hardware to ensure the three ac cessible life jacket storage lockers could comply with the proposed guidelines. In addition, two fixed seats are proposed to be removed in the upper deck cabin to provide the necessary clear deck space to make one storage facility accessible in the cabin

. Outside the upper deck cabin, sufficient clearances already existed to provide the clear deck space at the exterior seating area life jacket locker. In the main deck cabin, the ferry representative proposed to add an accessible locker to a shelf on the portside bulkhead (wall) between the port side seating section and the storage area, so as not to lose two to three seats at the bow in providing access to the forward life jacket lockers. These actions are estimated to increase the cost to construct the new vessel by $ 2,400

. **7. Emergency Communications**  The vessel has no audible general emergency alarm so visual alarms in passenger areas are not required in the new designs . V215.1. However, the vessel has an installed public address s ys tem that the study assumes provides emergency information to passengers. Therefore, the propose guidelines require a vessel

- wide assistive listening sy stem to be12

provided. V219.2.2. A FM (frequency modulation) assistive listening s ys tem serving all passenger areas is estimated to increase the cost to construct the new vessel by $4,400 18

. 

### Other Outcomes
**8 . Snack Bar**  **Counter** In the 55 foot design, a snack bar is provided in the main deck cabin which has a 36 inch high service counter with a 36 and 3⁄4 inch sea rail ar ound its edge. The sea rail helps prevent objects from sliding off the service counter when the vessel is in motion. As the largest deck of the vessel is less than 3,000 square feet and the employ ee side of the counter has a linear length of 80 inches or less, the proposed guidelines do not require an y change in the counter 19

. V227.3 Exception.
**9**
**. Accessible Means of Escape and**  **Stairs** In the 55 foot design, the US Coast Guard (USCG) requires the upper deck to have two mean s of escape (MOE) down to th e main deck, to the stern and bow area. These two MOE consist of stairs, one at the stern and the other a narrow stair at the bow, which have slopes of more than 35 degrees. Because the forward MOE is through a window, the proposed guidelines only requir e one accessible means of escape (AMOE) from the upper deck to the main deck at the ster n 20 . V207. 1 Exception 1. The guidelines allow stairs to be components in the AMOE , but the proposed guidelines establish no r equirement s 21 for these stairs

. Advisory

V 207.1.
**10**
**. Electrical**  **Power, Fuel Consumption,**  **and Vessel Stability Impacts** In the 55 foot design, the ferry representative estimated the proposed changes to meet the proposed guidelines would have no impact on the electrical power needs of the ferry . The ferry’ s stability

would more than likel y have to be recalculated at a cost of $ 2,700 because of the modifications. F uel consumption should not change as the new vessel would have a similar displacement as the original ferry

. However, the loss of s eating and storage (due to the provisions of the guidelines) necessitates a larger vessel. It is estimated the 65 foot design would use 18 percent more fuel.

18 V219.2.2 is new

to the updated case study a nd the ferry representative has not reviewed the results. The system costs comprise 5 quality receivers with headset/neckloops ($1,400), one FM transmitter with related support material ($1,400), and engineering, installation, and other costs ($1,600). 19 The exception is new to the updated case study. Therefore, the $600 cost to make the service counter accessible as reported in the 2008 draft is not included in this study update. 20 Although a circulation path to the bow stair is available through the pilot house doors, to avoid passengers interrupting the ship’s captain directing crew actions in an emergency, the US Coast Guard (USCG) requires another way to connect the bow stairs. Due to the size of the upper deck, a window is allowed by the USCG to connect the bow stair. Likewise, on the main deck, the connection to the bow is through a window

so the corresponding accessible means of escape ( AMOE ) is not required to the bow from the main deck cabin. The vessel’s evacuation plan implies that no area of refuge is required on the upper deck, so the AMOE is not expected to also run in the rev erse direction. 21 Passenger stairs would still be subject to the protruding object requirements which apply to passenger circulation paths. V204.13 

### Summary 55 Foot Ferry (Option 1)

. The ferry representative reported that the cost to construct the original vessel was approximately $1.9 million in 2006 dollars , updated to $2.27 million in 2011 dollars

. The ferry

representative noted that because of slip size limitations in the homeport harbor and because they wanted a smaller vessel (cheaper to operate) to balance off their larger 65 foot ferry , the new designs of the ferry should not result in a longer or wider vessel. Based on the vessel length of 55 feet and width of 21.5 feet being unchanged, the ferry

representative estimated that the new designs would add approximately

$ 2 4,700 to the vessel’s construction costs, an increase of about 1 percent. The new designs would also result in the loss of 6 to 8 fixed seats 22 . Including the five square feet loss in the reduction of the golf club storag e area, at least 23 square feet of freight storage out of the original 1 15 square feet is lost (about 2 0 percent), but life jacket storage space is increased at the bow b y 1 4 square feet 23

.

55 Foot Ferry

(Option 1) 2006 Estimates 2011 Estimates (rounded) Construction Cost (original vessel) $1.9M $2.27M Emergency

Communications 4,400 Modifications to Exterior Doors $6,300 7,500 Portside Toilet Room Enlargement $3,200 3,800 Providing 2 Wheelchair Spaces $1,300 1,600 Stability Calculations $2,300 2,7 00 Providing 3 Accessible Life Jacket L ockers $2,000 2,400 Ceiling Height

– Bow Locker Enlargements $1,900 2,300 n/a **Total (% increase) 24,700 (1.1%)**  65 Foot Ferry (Option 2)

. Indiscussing the loss in seating and freight storage impact , the ferry representative noted that if the provisions used in the study were mandatory (generally , the same provisions that are in the proposed guidelines) , they would probably have had to build a larger vessel to compensate for the loss of critical seating and freight space. As freight is generally passenger luggage, if passengers cannot easily store their luggage, their desire to use their ferry service is impacted. Carrying golfers with their golf bags and other luggage represents a sizable cliental. The 55 f oot vessel is on the margin of what the compan y projected it would really need. It is estimated a 65 foot vessel would cost approximately $ 2.75 million to $ 2.87 million in 20 11 dollars (average of $2.81 million) and (roughly) an additional $ 15 ,400 to $ 22 , 400

22 If the two fol d

- down seats at the two wheelchair spaces could not be used because the wheelchair spaces are occupied by wheelchairs or used to compensate for the loss in freight storage, 8 fixed seats are lost in the new designs. 23 The ferry representative is unsure of how readily usable the life jacket storage space would be for passenger freight due to its location from the stern entry doors.14

would be needed to make it comply with the proposed guidelines. As a 65 foot vessel has 149 seats, where space is needed to provide accessibility features highlighted in the anal ys is of the 55 foot design, seats would be removed. It is (roughl y) esti mated that space needs for accessibility

would reduce the seating capacit y to around 125 seats (which is above the 108 capacity

of the 55 foot design). Going from a 55 foot ferry to a 65 foot ferry complying with theguidelines represents a $ 49 3,400 to $ 6 1 9,400 (updated) increase (average of $556, 4 00) , about 22 to 27 percent increase over the cost of the original 55 foot vessel. By

going with a 65 foot vessel, the fuel consumption would increase by an estimated 18 percent. The ferry representative also no ted that bank financing would not have been available for a 65 foot vessel when the decision was made to fund the 55 foot vessel. Therefore, the ferry service would have had to delay adding another vessel and slowed the growth of the compan y.