Halimar Shipyard, Morgan City, La., and Breaux Brothers Enterprises, Loreauville, La., each delivered a new 97'1"x27'11"x11'6" ferry for NYC Ferry.
Designed by Incat Crowther, the first two low emission EPA Tier 4 compliant 354-passenger ferries, named H401 and Curiosity, will join the fleet of the still expanding NYC Ferry by Hornblower. The Incat Crowther Digital Ship design package allowed identical vessels to be constructed at independent shipyards.
Main propulsion comes from twin Baudouin 12M26.3 Tier 4 diesel engines, producing 1.379 hp at 2,100 rpm each, connected to 5-bladed wheels (no manufacturer given). The propulsion package gives the boats a running speed of 26.5 knots.
In order to bring the engines into compliance with Tier 4, Incat Crowther integrated a Baudouin-supplied SCR system into the vessel design along with the necessary urea tanks and dosing system components.
Although the vessels were commissioned prior to the current tragic circumstances caused by the Covid 19 emergency, it is expected that the high passenger demand NYC Ferry has experienced since beginning operations in 2017 will return.
The new aluminum vessels complement the 17 Incat Crowther designed 26m vessels and 14 29m vessels that have already been delivered to NYC Ferry. Four additional 26m vessels are currently under construction at Gulf Craft and Metal Shark, both with shipyards in Franklin, La., along with one additional 29m vessel under construction at St John’s Shipbuilding, Palatka, Fla.. Upon completion of these additional vessels, the NYC Ferry fleet will have grown to an amazing 38 vessels just over three years.
With a draft of 4'3", the new vessels, which are USCG certified, Subchapter K, include seats for 354 passengers, dedicated bicycle storage, disability access, mobile device charging stations, Wi-Fi connectivity and a well-equipped on-board convenience store by The New Stand.
The NYC Ferry fleet has been developed in close co-operation with Hornblower, leveraging Incat Crowther’s comprehensive digital design package and expertise in the U.S. ferry industry to satisfy challenging operational and regulatory requirements.
Tankage includes 2,000 gals. of fuel oil, 400 gals. urea, and 525 gals. fresh water. Each ferry has a crew of eight.
The growing NYC Ferry fleet continues to form the backbone of a modern, comfortable and efficient urban ferry fleet that is offering New York City commuters the ability to access more parts of the metropolitan area than ever before, Incat officials said.
