Golden Gate Selects Shipyard for Eight Vessel Order

November 22, 2025

Mavrik Marine recently delivered KARL to San Francisco Bay Ferries (SFBF), a diesel-powered catamaran KARL capable of speeds up to 40 knots. The boat, with an Australian design, was the third in a series built for SFBF at the Mavrik yard, and a Marine News magazine Great Boat of 2025. Image courtesy MAVRIK yard

Mavrik Marine, Inc. was selected to build high-speed passenger ferries for the Golden Gate Bridge Highway & Transportation District.

Mavrik will construct catamaran passenger ferries as part of the District’s eight vessel Lima Class Ferry Replacement Program to provide transportation services in San Francisco Bay.

The 50-m aluminum ferries specifications and systems were developed by Aurora Marine Design in San Diego with structural design from One2Three Naval Architects in Australia.

Construction will begin immediately at Mavrik’s facility in La Conner, WA. Designed to comply with California Air Resource Board (CARB) Tier 4 emission regulations, the vessels will provide fast, efficient, regulatory compliant passenger service across San Francisco Bay. The District completes upwards of 20,000 trip crossings annually, resulting in approximately 2 million passenger trips. The eight-vessel Ferry Replacement Program will update the District’s entire fleet over the next several years.

The new high-speed catamarans will carry 500 passengers, accommodate 75 bicycles, and include an ADA compliant elevator, snack bar, and indoor and outdoor seating for passenger comfort, all while cruising at speeds of 39 knots. Powered by six MAN D2862 1066kW Tier 4 engines, the vessels will be outfitted with custom Marine Exhaust Systems DPF/SCR exhaust filter modules. Driveline Services of Portland carbon shafts connecting six Hamilton Jet HTX52 waterjets complete the propulsion system. Traditional diesel generators are replaced by DanFoss gear driven generators, connected to Reintjes/Karl Senner hybrid gear boxes. Electrical storage will be provided by Echandia and McKay will provide electrical outfitting, alarm and monitoring package.

“Mavrik recently delivered four high-speed ferries to the Bay area, and we are very proud that our past performance and unwavering quality commitment allows us to partner with the District in the replacement of their eight-ferry fleet,” said Mavrik President Bailey Shewchuk. “The District specified several key components they wanted integrated into the vessel, all designed to maximize efficiency and improve maintainability. Our recent vessel deliveries were key in demonstrating our capabilities and every vessel we’ve built has been a great sales reference for us. The quality of a Mavrik vessel is unmatched and our entire organization is excited to showcase our experience on the Golden Gate project.”