Fifth Daufuskie Island Ferry Scheduled for Repower

With four of the Daufuskie Island ferries repowered, Richard Inglis, director of transportation, Daufuskie Island Ferry service, is looking to repower a fifth ferry, the Haig Point IV, as well as a water taxi.

Beginning in 2016, the ferry company began working with Ken Cotte, territory manager, Western Branch Diesel, on a project to repower the Haig Point I and Haig Point II, with twin, D13-500-horsepower Volvo Penta engines, and the Palmetto Merchant and Palmetto Trader, with twin, D13-600-horsepower engines. The engines are EPA, Tier-3 certified. The Haig Point II just completed testing in mid-July.

“We did our test run and found the alignment and foundation of the engine to be in good shape,” says Inglis. Of the three ferries that are on the water and providing service to customers coming to and returning from the island, Inglis reports that they are all doing well in the application, with no weaknesses.

“The recent repower of the Haig Point II went very well. It was great collaboration between Haig Point ferries, Stevens shipyard, DLBA Naval Architects, and Western Branch Diesel,” says Cotte. “We look forward to repowering the Haig Point IV with a pair of Volvo Penta D13-500 engines, which is scheduled to begin in fall 2021.”

The ferry service is available 7 days a week, transporting 800 to 1,000 passengers per day. The Palmetto Merchant has 9,000 engine hours, the Palmetto Trader, nearly 3,500 engine hours, and the Haig Point I, with 9,945 engine hours.

“The captains are happy with the ease of operation of controls. There aren’t many coding issues and it’s easy to troubleshoot any problems,” says Inglis. “I think the most attractive thing about the engines are their power at the low end. At the top end, with a robust, full load, the ferry engines carry the weight very well. The torque the engines produce is a victory for us.”

Inglis is considering the repower of a small water taxi with D8-330 horsepower, which runs from Haig Point on the island to Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island. They also plan to begin the repower the Haig Point IV this fall.

“Overall, we’re happy with the engines. We’re seeing expected fuel consumption. Western Branch Diesel provides good service and parts availability. I can’t think of anything that I’ve needed that Western Branch Diesel hasn’t helped me with pretty quickly,” says Inglis.

To learn more about repowering, contact our Marine Sales team.