Last week, Yank Marine Inc. delivered the 599-passenger aluminum ferry Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first of three ferries, to NY Waterway.
The 2,000-hp ferry is similar to the pair of ferries the Tuckahoe, N.J., yard delivered to NY Waterway in 2015 and 2016 — the 350-passenger Molly Pitcher and Betsy Ross. The ferries were all designed by LeMole Naval Architecture in Tuckahoe. The ferry’s hull construction is made up of 5086 aluminum plate and the extrusions are 6061 aluminum.
Due to Covid-19, NY Waterway had delayed delivery of the Franklin D. Roosevelt, which had been scheduled for early this year. Owner Bette Jean Yank said in late April that the ferry operator was down from operating 20 routes to just one with limited service and has had to lay off 80% of its employees. The second 109’x31’ ferry is scheduled for delivery in October, with the final ferry set for April 2021.
The new Subchapter K ferries have the same hull design as the Molly and Betsy from the deck down and have similar dimensions. “The big difference is that the new ferries have a lot less power than the Molly and Betsy since these aren’t the long commuter ferries,” said Phil Adams, Yank Marine’s newbuild project manager. “The FDR along with the other two have an upper open deck versus the enclosed upper deck you see on the Molly and Betsy.”
The Molly and Betsy are powered by a pair of Tier 3 Caterpillar 3512C engines, rated at 2,367 hp at 1,800 rpm each, giving the boats a service speed between 28 knots and 30 knots.
The FDR is powered by a pair of Cummins QSK38 engines, producing 1,000-hp each at 1,800 rpm. The engines turn a pair of ZF 5-bladed nibral wheels through ZF marine gear with 2.952:1 ratios. The package gives the ferry a service speed of 22 to 23 knots. Ship’s service power is provided by a Kohler 65EOZCJ 45-kW generator.
The FDR and her sister ferries have tankage for 2,000 gals. of fuel, 100 gals. water per side, and 200 gals. sewage per side. The ferry features electronics from Simrad. The FDR was delivered on May 7.
