HMS Awarded Contract for Trinidad Ferry Fleet

(NEW ALBANY Ind.) December 18, 2008 – Hornblower Marine Services (HMS) is pleased to announce that the National Infrastructure Development Company Limited (NIDCO), a Trinidad and Tobago state owned enterprise, has awarded HMS the contract for the Trinidad passenger fast ferry fleet in the southern Caribbean.

“We are delighted that we were selected by the National Infrastructure Development Company to manage and operate the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s passenger fast ferry service,” said John Waggoner, Chief Executive Officer of Hornblower Marine Services. “HMS believes this is a unique opportunity to use our vast experience in starting up ferry operations to assist the government in operating a world-class ferry system.”

“The Water Taxi Project of the National Infrastructure Development Company is intended to reduce traffic on the heavily traveled North-South corridor between Trinidad's two largest cities,” said Hornblower Vice President of Operations Gary Seabrook. “The service is commuter-oriented and will begin operations with four high-speed passenger vessels with four additional vessels added over the next two years as other routes are included to the service. Hornblower Marine Services, Trinidad-Ltd. will operate the ferries on behalf of NIDCO and is pleased to be following up our Bahamas Fast Ferries experience with a second Caribbean opportunity.”

The four-boat operation will route from Port of Spain to San Fernando. There will be one large vessel holding up to 400 passengers with three smaller vessels carrying up to 150 passengers each. Each water taxi trip will last approximately fifty minutes.

The ferry service is scheduled to begin in December, 2008.

The government requested “water taxi service” is vital to the region to alleviate motor-vehicle traffic on the national roadways and to improve community and business productivity. The service is looking to ultimately service 9,000 passengers with approximately 34 trips daily.