What Nichols Brothers Boat Builders does

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB), operating as Ice Floe, LLC under parent Shared Ice Services, is a custom steel and aluminum vessel construction shipyard founded in 1964 on Whidbey Island, Washington. The company designs and builds a diverse portfolio including high-speed aluminum catamaran ferries (50+ delivered since pioneering the format in U.S. waters in 1982), ASD-90 and hybrid Z-drive tractor tugs, expedition and overnight cruise vessels, landing craft, car ferry superstructures, dinner boats, fishing vessels, work boats, fireboats, and offshore windfarm service vessels. NBBB's first battery-electric ferry program (two 400-passenger units for San Francisco Bay Ferry's REEF program, awarded April 2025, in partnership with Incat Crowther for design and Wärtsilä for propulsion) and participation in DARPA's NOMARS autonomous surface vessel program (USX-1 Defiant, with Serco as prime) mark its expansion into electric and unmanned platforms.

The business model is project-based custom construction sold through direct, relationship-driven enterprise field sales to government transit agencies, commercial maritime operators, expedition cruise lines, and defense customers. Revenue is generated from one-time new-vessel contracts and ongoing repair/conversion work performed jointly with sister company Everett Ship Repair, which now operates the largest floating dry dock in Puget Sound (Hercules, 820' x 135'). Customers include Kitsap Transit, Washington State Ferries, WETA/San Francisco Bay Ferry, Foss Maritime, Baydelta Maritime, Lindblad Expeditions, UIC Bowhead Transport, Kirby Offshore Marine, Major Marine Tours, and DARPA/U.S. Navy. Vessels are built to USCG Subchapter K/M and ABS Loadline/UWILD standards, with NBBB operating under an ISO 9001-aligned QMS. The company maintains a 251–500 employee headcount, supplemented by a state-certified apprenticeship program funded by federal WIOA grants, and pursues workforce development through VR-augmented trade training. NBBB's defensible position rests on six decades of shipbuilding experience, proprietary know-how in aluminum high-speed catamaran construction, integrated new-build plus repair capacity through ESR, and a deep partnership network across naval architects (BMT, Jensen Maritime, Incat Crowther, Columbia Sentinel), propulsion integrators (Wärtsilä, Rolls-Royce, MTU), and autonomy/ride-control vendors (Sea Machines, Naiad).

Name

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders

Legal name

Ice Floe, LLC

Website

https://nicholsboats.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders is a custom steel and aluminum vessel shipyard founded in 1964 in Freeland, Washington, serving government transit agencies, commercial maritime operators, expedition cruise lines, and defense customers with ferries, tugs, cruise vessels, and landing craft.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Shipbuilding and Marine Vessel Manufacturing

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Catamaran & Multihull Leisure Craft Manufacturing (IMAJAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Landing Craft & Amphibious Workboats (LCM/LCT-style, Beaching Craft) (IMAJADAK), Government & Municipal Service Craft (Research, Survey, Inspection, Buoy Tenders) (IMAJADAL)

Keywords

• Custom vessel construction
• Ship repair services
• Aluminum boat building
• Marine vessel conversion
• Shipyard manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Freeland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. New Vessel Construction: Custom vessel construction for commercial, government, and defense customers. Projects include ferries, tug boats, cruise vessels, landing craft, and work boats. Long project timelines with significant contract values.
2. Repair and Conversion Services: Full-service repair and conversion services through Nichols Brothers Boat Builders and sister company Everett Ship Repair. Services include drydock repairs, machinery upgrades, regulatory inspections, and vessel modernization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders is a Pacific Northwest shipyard that designs and constructs custom steel and aluminum vessels — including high-speed catamarans, hybrid and electric ferries, tractor tugs, landing craft, cruise boats, and unmanned surface vessels — for government, commercial, and defense customers. The company also operates a full-service repair and conversion facility through its sister company Everett Ship Repair.

Product overview

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) is a Pacific Northwest shipyard constructing custom steel and aluminum vessels, operating since 1964. The company builds diverse vessel types including overnight cruise boats (from 238-foot expedition vessels to 360-foot paddlewheel riverboats), dinner cruise boats, tractor tugs (including hybrid-electric models), high-speed catamaran ferries (50+ delivered), car ferries, landing craft, fishing vessels, work boats, and windfarm service vessels. Recent innovations include battery-electric ferry construction (REEF Ferry Program for San Francisco Bay Ferry) and autonomous surface vessel development (USX-1 Defiant for DARPA). The company also operates as a full-service repair facility serving commercial, government, and defense customers throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Overnight Cruise Boats Custom overnight cruise boats ranging from expedition vessels to luxury riverboats, including the 360-foot Empress of the North (largest cruise vessel built at NBBB) and 238-foot National Geographic Quest and Venture for Lindblad Expeditions.
• ASD-90 Tractor Tugs

Quantifiable outcome

• ASD-90 tugs delivered 4 vessels in 14 months during COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020 - June 2021)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Serco North AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 August 2025Collaborated with Serco North America and other Tier 3 shipyards on construction of USX-1 Defiant autonomous surface vessel for DARPA's No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) program. Serco serves as prime contractor with NBBB providing shipyard construction services.
• Incat CrowthercoreTechnology or Integration · 7 April 2025World-class passenger vessel designer providing design services for San Francisco Bay Ferry's 400-passenger battery-electric ferries under the REEF Program.
• Wärtsilä North AmericacoreTechnology or Integration · 7 April 2025Electrical propulsion system integrator for San Francisco Bay Ferry electric ferries, providing scalable energy storage system, MCS charging units, DC grid, and advanced DC conversion technology.
• Ockerman Automation ConsultingmajorTechnology or Integration · 7 April 2025Electrical engineering firm providing expertise for San Francisco Bay Ferry electric ferry project.
• BMT (Nigel Gee)coreTechnology or Integration · 18 December 2018Southampton, UK-based naval architecture firm providing vessel design for Kitsap Transit high-speed passenger-only ferries (ENETAI, COMMANDER). Optimized hull design for passenger loading and route efficiency.
• Jensen Maritime ConsultantscoreTechnology or IntegrationSeattle-based naval architecture firm (owned by Crowley Maritime Corporation) providing design services for Foss Maritime ASD-90 tractor tugs and Baydelta Maritime hybrid tugs.
• Sea MachinesmajorTechnology or IntegrationProvider of SM300 autonomous vessel technology installed on M/V Rachael Allen - first tugboat in the U.S. delivered with autonomous transit capability and remote machinery access.
• Everett Ship RepaircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company under Shared Ice Services providing expanded drydock capacity and repair services. NBBB and ESR coordinate on complex projects including WSF M/V Cathlamet emergency repairs.
• NaiadmajorTechnology or IntegrationActive ride control system supplier for Kitsap Transit ferries, ensuring smooth comfortable ride at high speeds through interceptor system technology.
• Columbia Sentinel EngineeringmajorTechnology or IntegrationProvided vessel design for UNALAQ landing craft project for UIC Bowhead Transport, including steel hull and aluminum superstructure design.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• All American Marine: Bellingham, WA-based aluminum high-speed catamaran builder focused on passenger ferries, research vessels, and whale-watching craft. Closest direct peer given overlapping product category (aluminum catamarans), Pacific Northwest base, and shared customer overlap with transit/tourism operators.
• Vigor Industrial: Portland, OR-headquartered shipyard group with deep Pacific Northwest presence, building ferries (including for WSF), tugs, barges, and naval vessels. Closest scale-comparable peer; competes for the same transit and commercial maritime RFPs and operates integrated new-build plus repair.
• Glosten: Seattle-based naval architecture and marine consulting firm that also engages in vessel construction oversight and select new-build projects. Comparable in Pacific Northwest maritime ecosystem and overlapping client base (WSF, transit agencies, research institutions).
• Eastern Shipbuilding Group: Panama City, FL-based custom shipyard building Z-drive tugs, offshore supply vessels, and military craft. Comparable in custom vessel construction model with similar tug and workboat portfolio serving commercial and government customers.
• Derecktor Shipyards: New York/Florida-based custom builder of high-end yachts, pilot boats, patrol craft, and ferries. Comparable in custom-build orientation, multi-product vessel portfolio (aluminum/steel), and reliance on government/commercial tenders.
• Bay Ship & Yacht Co. Alameda, CA-based shipyard operating a large floating dry dock for new-build and repair of tugs, barges, and offshore vessels. Comparable on the West Coast custom vessel and tug construction market with overlap in commercial maritime operators.
• Bollinger Shipyards: Louisiana-based shipyard with extensive U.S. Coast Guard, Navy, and government new-build programs including patrol boats and USVs. Comparable in building government/defense vessels and increasingly relevant as a peer in the USV construction space.
• Senesco Marine: North Kingstown, RI-based shipyard building commercial vessels including LNG-ready tugs, articulated tug-barges, and specialty craft. Comparable in custom new-build of tugs and workboats for Jones Act and commercial maritime customers.

Broad incumbents

• Austal USA: Mobile, AL-based subsidiary of Austal Limited, builder of aluminum high-speed vessels including Littoral Combat Ships, Expeditionary Fast Transport, and Independence-class vessels for the U.S. Navy. Larger incumbent sharing aluminum high-speed vessel DNA with NBBB but at much greater scale and focused on defense primes.
• Fincantieri Marine Group: U.S. arm of Italian shipbuilding giant Fincantieri, operating multiple yards including Marinette Marine and Bay Marine. As Shawn Johnston's former employer, directly relevant as a competitor and customer touchpoint; competes for major U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and commercial programs at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nicholsboats
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nichols-brothers-boat-builders

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nichols Brothers Boat Builders