All American Marine (AAM) has delivered El Escudo, a 33m x 10m parallel hybrid monohull passenger vessel, to Harbor Breeze Cruises following successful sea trials. The vessel will operate harbor tours, whale watch cruises and special event dining experiences out of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.
Designed by Nic de Waal of Teknicraft Design, El Escudo exceeds US EPA Tier 4 and California Air Resources Board (CARB) emissions standards. Its propulsion system combines selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and diesel particulate filters (DPF) with a parallel hybrid battery system supplied by ABB Inc., featuring twin 300kW electric traction motors and a 588kW BorgWarner ESS.
The vessel can operate in four modes: conventional diesel, fully electric zero-emissions, underway battery charging and stationary shoreside charging. Zero-emissions operation is available during low-speed harbor work and port operations.
The vessel is powered by twin MAN D2862 EPA Tier 4 diesel engines supplied by Northern Lights, driving fixed-pitch propellers through a Reintjes gearbox provided by Karl Senner Inc.
Certified as a USCG Subchapter K passenger vessel for “Limited Coastwise” service, El Escudo can carry up to 350 passengers across multiple decks, including a custom stadium-style seating platform on the bow. Exterior and interior styling was provided by Italian design house Studio Sculli. The vessel is also fitted with advanced data collection and monitoring capabilities.
The project received funding through CARB’s Advanced Technology Demonstration and Pilot Projects grant under the Los Angeles Marine Emission Reduction (LA MER) Project, administered by the Port of Los Angeles.
Dan Salas, owner and operator of Harbor Breeze Cruises, said, “All American Marine has already delivered two outstanding vessels for our fleet, and once again they’ve brought our vision to life. This vessel sets a new standard for passenger vessels — not only in design and build quality, but in propulsion technology that truly moves the industry toward a cleaner future.”
Ron Wille, president of All American Marine, added, “This propulsion package represents a first for a US passenger vessel of this type and delivers both low- and zero-emission capabilities without sacrificing operational range or flexibility.”
El Escudo is the third vessel AAM has built for Harbor Breeze Cruises, following Triumphant and La Espada.
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