Published: October, 2002
Fresh from the shipyard in 2001, Golden Gate Bridge Ferry’s beautiful new high-speed catamaran, the MV Mendocino, has been called back to the shipyard for the replacement of its aluminum hull. The problem is not with the shipyard, Nichols Bros. Boat Builders of Freeland, Washington, but with the Alcan Aluminum Corp. mill of Oswego, New York, and the aluminum-magnesium alloy it uses to reduce the corrosive effects of seawater. According to Pacific Maritime Magazine (March, p. 6), “Instead of hot-rolled alloy, the mill in Oswego changed to a cold-rolling process, which, according to speculation by shipyard customers, didn’t integrate the magnesium in the alloy as well.” The result is that aluminum-hulled boats built recently by several yards have had to be recalled and, unfortunately, the MV Mendocino is one of them.
“Fortunately, there is no danger to the vessel, and the problem with the aluminum hull means that instead of lasting 50 years in the corrosive seawater environment, it may only last perhaps 20 years,” explained Matt Nichols of the boat-building firm bearing his name. So, the Bridge District advises that the MV Mendocino will be taken out of service from approximately December 7, 2002 through March 21, 2003. One of the original three Spaulding single-hull vessels will be used as a replacement, increasing the Larkspur to San Francisco trip by 15 minutes. The following weekday trips will be impacted:
From Larkspur:rom Larkspur:
6:45 am trip will arrive 15 minutes later than the scheduled 7:30 am.
8:10 am trip will arrive 15 minutes later than the scheduled 8:55 am.
5:30 pm trip will arrive 15 minutes later than the scheduled 6:20 pm.
From San Francisco:
7:20 am trip will depart 10 minutes later than scheduled and arrive 20 minutes later at 8:35 am.
4:15 pm trip will depart as scheduled but arrive 15 minutes later at 5:45 pm.
6:15 pm trip will depart 5 minutes later and arrive 20 minutes later at 7:25 pm.
