A partnership formed by Washington ferry operator Kitsap Transit, naval architecture firm Glosten, and manufacturer Bieker Boats has secured a US$1.2 million grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce to develop an all-electric fast ferry prototype equipped with hydrofoils.
The grant, which was funded through the Washington Climate Commitment Act, also covers the development of the necessary shoreside infrastructure that will support the operation of the new vessel in Puget Sound.
The demonstration vessel will be a scaled-down version of Glosten’s 150-passenger hydrofoil ferry. The company said that not only will the demonstration vessel mitigate design and schedule risks, it will also reduce the program cost and timeline ahead of a full-scale functional design and construction phases.
The partners expect the hydrofoil ferry prototype to be introduced into service in 2026. Successful operation of the prototype will prompt Kitsap Transit to lobby for additional federal funding that will be used for the development of the full-size ferry.