Since 1964, Gilbert Associates has built a reputation for excellence in marine engineering and naval architecture services by consistently providing our clients with the highest quality results at an outstanding value.
Whether you need design, engineering, or consulting solutions, our dedicated team of naval architects and marine engineers is here to serve you. We put our decades of experience to work to ensure the success of your project at every step of the process – from preliminary design through regulatory review, trials, and final delivery.
At Gilbert Associates, we focus on finding the best, most efficient, and most cost-effective solutions to your naval architecture and marine engineering challenges.
The 300’ passenger and vehicle ferry M/V P.T. Barnum was commissioned by the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company in 1998. Shortly after, her owners ordered a sister ship, the M/V Grand Republic, launched in 2002. Twenty years later, in 2022, the company contracted yet another sister ship, the M/V Long Island.
To satisfy modern demands, the M/V Long Island features an EPA Tier IV-compliant power plant that can push the vessel up to 20 kn. Today, all three Gilbert-designed 300’ Passenger Vehicle Ferries work together to bridge the Long Island Sound for passengers and commerce.
The F/V Ranger and F/V Resolution are Gilbert-designed 95’ scalloper sister vessels, delivered in September and November of 2003, respectively. Both fishing vessels operate out of New Bedford, MA, and have a fish hold capacity of 5400 cubic feet. After the delivery of these two sister vessels, Gilbert was commissioned to shorten and modify the design for seven additional vessels.
The Gilbert-designed 93’ scalloper has been built seven times from 2004 to 2013. Many of these vessels operate out of New Bedford, MA. The design for these sisters is based on the two 95’ scallopers, the F/V Ranger and F/V Resolution. The F/V Neskone was the first of these scallop fishing vessels to be built, followed by her sisters: the F/V Polaris, F/V Wisdom, F/V Horizon, F/V Arcturus, F/V Rost, and F/V Pyxis.
The Capt. Richard G. Spear is a 154’ passenger/vehicle ferry designed for the Maine State Ferry Service. Today, she carries up to 250 passengers and 23 vehicles between Rockland, ME, and the island community of Vinalhaven. The Spear was proudly built in East Boothbay, Maine, by Washburn & Doughty Shipyard.
MaineDOT has since commissioned a sister vessel, the M/V Capt. Almer Dinsmore. The Dinsmore entered service in Penobscot Bay in 2025 as MaineDOT’s first hybrid diesel/electric ferry and the first such ferry designed and constructed in New England.
Read more about the Capt. Richard G. Spear and Capt. Almer Dinsmore in these publications:
Professional Mariner, News Center Maine, Providence Now, WorkBoat
The M/V Capt. Steve is a 96’ inland river towboat designed for Shaver Transportation for use on the Columbia River. With over 4,000 hp (installed), she produces more than 100,000 lbs of bollard pull. With each trip, M/V Capt. Steve moves thousands of tons of agricultural products from Idaho, Washington, and Oregon to ports on the Pacific.
The John H. started life as the hull of an unfinished 170 ft offshore supply vessel. Sensing an opportunity, Gilbert Associates was retained to convert the hull into a passenger vehicle ferry with lift decks. This hull was cut in half and had a 66 ft mid-body added and was then sponsoned out to a finished beam of 60 feet. It has lift decks with a freight deck cargo capacity of 100 cars or 6 tractor-trailers and reduced car capacity.
The John H. is the largest subchapter K passenger vehicle ferry in service today. M/V John H. runs daily service between New London, CT, and Orient Point, NY. Gilbert Associates has also supported the John H. with refits and renovations over the course of her successful career.
The 104’ passenger and vehicle ferry Charles Norman Shay was commissioned by the Maine State Ferry Service in Rockland, ME, on September 12, 2024. The vessel services a route between Rockland, ME, and Matinicus Island, and has a capacity of 149 passengers and 7 cars. The vessel is powered by two CAT C-18 diesel engines and operates at a service speed of 13 knots.
The ferry was named after Charles Norman Shay, a member of the Penobscot Nation who served as a combat medic in WWII. Shay saved many lives on Omaha Beach as a medic during the D-Day invasion.
Read more about the Charles Norman Shay in these publications:
Our naval architecture services are designed to meet the needs of vessel owners and operators. Whether you need plans for a new vessel or an expert perspective in tackling various marine engineering or modification challenges, we have you covered.
Every design we produce is fully custom, informed by our years of experience, and tailored to the vessel’s specific operating needs and services.
If you’re looking to modify an existing vessel, need compliance assistance, or have any other issue that may benefit from a professional consultation, we are here to help.
From innovative design to expert consultation and meticulous documentation, we have solutions for every vessel. If you’re looking for a proven naval architecture and marine engineering firm that will listen to your needs and respond with reliable, time-tested, and cost-effective results, reach out to Gilbert Associates today.
