Catalina Express
Privately held company | |
Industry | Transportation |
Founded | 1981California, US | in
Founders |
Doug Bombard Greg Bombard Tom Rutter |
Headquarters |
Long Beach, California, US |
Area served |
Los Angeles County Orange County |
Key people | Greg Bombard (President) |
Number of employees |
450 (summer) 300 (winter) |
Website | catalinaexpress.com |
Footnotes / references [1][2] |
Catalina Express is a passenger ferry service that operates scheduled passenger service between Avalon and Two Harbors on Santa Catalina Island and San Pedro, Long Beach and Dana Point on the California mainland.[3] The service was founded in 1981 with one sixty-passenger vessel to make the channel crossing between the mainland and Catalina Island in about an hour and fifteen minutes, with two departures daily. As of 2016, the Catalina Express fleet includes eight high-speed vessels that can make the channel crossing in under an hour, with multiple trips daily. Catalina Express controls ninety-five percent of passenger and freight traffic to and from the island when including its sister company, Avalon Freight Services.
Background
Catalina Express operates year-round, and runs up to thirty trips a day in peak season. The ferry service transports over one million passengers each year, and over 17 million in company's first thirty years. The company has reported it has transported over 25 million passengers as of August 2015. Catalina Express celebrated thirty-five years of service in July 2016, being founded in the year of 1981. The founders of this company include Doug Bombard, Greg Bombard, and Tom Rutter. The most popular port of departure is the Downtown Long Beach Landing, offering the most trips daily. The San Pedro Terminal underwent renovations in 2012, and is the only port to offer daily service to Two Harbors.
On April 1st, 2016, Catalina Express and Harley Marine began operating a new sister company, Avalon Freight Services from the Catalina Sea and Air terminal in San Pedro. Avalon Freight Services operates self-propelled landing craft named Catalina Provider, and a rebuilt tug named Lucy Franco.
Catalina Express has a partnership with Long Beach Transit, operating the Aquabus and the Aqualink around the Long Beach Harbor and Alamitos Bay during the summer and holiday months.
Fleet
The company began with only one vessel that held about 60 passengers. As of 2016, the company runs eight high-speed vessels.[4]
Name | Type | Length (Feet) | Capacity (Passengers) | Top Speed (Knots) | Crossing Time (Minutes) | Built |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Catalina Jet | Catamaran | 144 | 450 | 37 | 60 | 1999 |
Starship Express | Catamaran | 134 | 300 | 37 | 60 | 1999 |
Jet Cat Express | Catamaran | 145 | 381 | 42 | 60 | 2001 |
Cat Express | Catamaran | 97 | 360 | 28 | 60 | 1987 |
Islander Express | Monohull | 97 | 149 | 32 | 60 | 1994 |
Catalina Express | Monohull | 97 | 149 | 32 | 60 | 1994 |
Super Express | Monohull | 95 | 149 | 32 | 60 | 1989 |
Avalon Express | Monohull | 95 | 149 | 32 | 60 | 1990 |
See also
- Catalina Flyer, a competing ferry service to Catalina Island from Newport Beach.
References
- ↑ Karen Gee-McAuley. "Catalina Express Fact Sheet" (PDF). Relevance Public Relations. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
- ↑ Karen Gee-McAuley. "Catalina Express - A Leader in Luxury" (PDF). Relevance Public Relations. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
In 1981, founders Doug Bombard, with son Greg and colleague Tom Rutter, formed Catalina Express. [...] The company, which employs 450 people in summer and 300 during the winter [...]
- ↑ "How to get to Avalon, Catalina Island". Santa Catalina Island Company. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ↑ "About Us". Catalina Express. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
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