Cadmatic Used For the Design and Production of Alaska Class Ferry

The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) has awarded the Alaska Class Ferry project to Vigor Alaska shipyard in Ketchikan, Alaska, where construction is currently underway. Glosten, a Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy, is providing production design for the ferry. Vigor Alaska and Glosten are two of Cadmatic’s newest customers in the USA.

The production design of the Alaska Class Ferry represents the premiere application of Cadmatic software in the northern USA. Glosten staff are pleased to deliver their design in the imperial unit versions of both Cadmatic Hull and Outfitting. “Our team is excited to work not only with Vigor Alaska and Cadmatic – but also with exceptional, leading edge modeling tools,” remarked Ken Lane, Director of Production Services at Glosten. “It’s a terrific opportunity for all of our designers.”

The ferry is being constructed at the Vigor Alaska Ketchikan Shipyard, one of Vigor Fab’s twelve locations. Vigor is a leading provider of shipbuilding, ship repair, and complex fabrication in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Alan Coffin, Senior Project Manager at Vigor, believes Cadmatic “has offered a unique opportunity to evaluate a world-class software platform. By opening the doors to new technologies, we anticipate improved efficiencies and advancement of our shipbuilding capabilities.”

The 280-foot, 300-passenger, 53-vehicle Alaska Class Ferry will primarily transit the Lynn Canal and shorter AMHS routes in Southeast Alaska.

Cadmatic is a 3D CAD/CAM engineering software system for the marine and offshore industry, with around 550 customers all over the world. The first US customer to use the full design and production package of Cadmatic software was North American Shipbuilding in 2013. Since then, other companies from North America have joined the Cadmatic family, including Glosten, Vigor Fab, Genoa Design International, and VT Halter Marine, among others.

Glosten, a Seattle-based engineering consultancy founded in 1958, is recognized throughout the marine industry for innovative solutions that integrate advanced analysis with practical, experience-based design. Glosten expertise includes Naval Architecture, Ocean Engineering & Analysis, Marine Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Detail/Production Design.