Rendition Courtesy of NYCEDC
The Citywide Ferry Service is set to launch this summer.
By Michael V. Cusenza
The first of a 19 sea vessels slated for the Citywide Ferry Service recently hit the water outside Horizon Shipyard in Alabama, according to an online magazine for commercial marine professionals.
The aluminum catamaran ferry was slowly transported by cranes last Monday and gently placed in the water – “like an egg in a basket” – perpendicular to the dock, WorkBoat reported.
This marks another milestone for the Ferry Service, which, according to the City Economic Development Corporation, is still on schedule to launch this summer.
In November, officials from the company that will operate the Ferry Service, Hornblower, and the EDC announced the completion of the first vessel. Specs and features for each ferry include:
- Capacity for 150 passengers along with space for bikes, strollers and wheelchairs.
- ADA Local Law 68/2005 accessibility and compliance.
- Boats are 26 meters long, offering passengers more space than more traditional ferries.
- Ferries are primarily built out of aluminum, which is light weight and increases fuel efficiency. The fleet of 19 vessels will be built with the equivalent of over 77 million cans of aluminum
- Use of ultra-efficient T3 Engines to reduce emissions.
- Innovative hull design to limit wake and maximize fuel efficiency.
- Wi-Fi available throughout the vessel.
- Heated decks that increase each vessel’s resiliency and durability, especially during the cold, snowy winter months.
Construction on the first new Citywide Ferry Service landing officially began late last month at Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive in Rockaway Park.
The Rockaway, Astoria, and south Brooklyn routes are scheduled to launch this year,
