Ollis-class ferry

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ollis-class ferry
Class overview
BuildersEastern Shipbuilding
OperatorsStaten Island Ferry
Preceded byMolinari-class
In service2022-
Planned3
General characteristics
TypeOllis-class passenger ferry
Length320 ft (98 m)
Beam70 ft (21 m)
Draft13 ft (4.0 m)
PropulsionEMD 710 diesel engines
Capacity4,500 passengers
Crew16

The Ollis-class ferries are a trio of passenger ferries on the Staten Island Ferry, the first of which entered service in 2022. The class is named after US Army Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis, a Staten Islander who was killed in action during the War in Afghanistan in 2013.[1][2]

History[]

Early work on the class began in August 2014, after a study into the future of Staten Island Ferry's fleet showed that the most economical course would be new-build ships instead of rebuilding existing vessels.[3] The Group was awarded a contract to design the new ships, which will replace MV John F. Kennedy and MV Andrew J. Barberi, resulting in one additional ship in the Staten Island Ferry fleet.[4][3] The following month, substantial funding for the project, covering the construction of two ships, was secured with a $191.6 million federal grant from the Hurricane Sandy relief bill.[5] As part of the new order, city officials allowed passengers to vote on the types of seats that would be installed in the new fleet.[6]

In November 2016, Eastern Shipbuilding was confirmed as the low bidder for constructing the ships,[1] and the shipyard was awarded the contract with a notice to proceed on March 1, 2017.[2] The final price for construction of the three vessels was $314 million; in addition to the federal grant, state and city funding was also used.[2] The first vessel, , was expected to be delivered in mid-2019,[2] followed later that year by , named after an early African American settlement on Staten Island.[7]

A petition to name the third Ollis-class ship after Staten Island firefighter John G. Chipura, who died in the September 11 attacks, reached 11,000 signatures by September 2017.[8] Other proposed namesakes include Russel Timoshenko, an NYPD officer killed in the line of duty in 2007.[9] In March 2020, the Mayor's office announced it would be named for Catholic social activist Dorothy Day.[10]

In October 2018, the timeline for the ferries' delivery was pushed back. Some of the parts for the first two Ollis-class ferries were being manufactured at Eastern Shipbuilding's shipyard in Panama City, Florida, which had been severely damaged after Hurricane Michael that month.[11][12] MV Michael H. Ollis was launched in November 2019, with an expected delivery date of August 2020.[13] MV Sandy Ground was launched in June 2020.[14] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the arrival of the new fleet was delayed again in July 2020.[15] MV Michael H. Ollis was towed from Florida to New York in August 2021.[16][17] Michael H. Ollis entered service on February 14, 2022.[18]

Design[]

Each ship of the class will be 320 feet (98 m) long, with a beam of 70 feet (21 m), and a loaded draft of 13 feet (4.0 m).[2] They will carry 4,500 passengers, with a crew complement of 16.[2][14] They will be powered by four EMD 12-710 diesel engines arranged in two married pairs, each of which drive a cycloidal propeller at each end of the ship for double-ended operation.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Eastern low bidder for Staten Island Ferry contract". Marine Log. November 3, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Eastern Shipbuilding confirms deal for Staten Island Ferries". Marine Log. April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "EBDG awarded Staten Island Ferry design contract". Marine Log. August 4, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  4. ^ Barone, Vin (August 6, 2014). "New York City selects designer for new fleet of Staten Island ferries". Staten Island Advance. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
  5. ^ "$191.6 million grant for new Staten Island Ferries". Marine Log. September 17, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  6. ^ Fitzsimmons, Emma G. (September 28, 2015). "Staten Island Ferry Riders Helping to Pick New Seats". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  7. ^ "Staten Island Ferry to be Named After Underground Railroad Stop, Mayor Says". DNAinfo. April 14, 2017. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  8. ^ Porpora, Tracey (September 10, 2017). "Petition to name ferry boat after 9/11 hero reaches 11,000". SILive.com. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
  9. ^ Rizzi, Nicholas (2016-10-19). "Murdered NYPD Officer Could Have Staten Island Ferry Named After Him". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  10. ^ "New Staten Island Ferry Boat to be Named for Dorothy Day, Renowned Social Activist Who Lived and Worked on Staten Island". nyc.gov. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  11. ^ Knudson, Annalise (October 17, 2018). "Fla. company building new Staten Island ferries damaged in Hurricane Michael". Staten island Advance. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  12. ^ "Workers return after hurricane to hard-hit Eastern Shipbuilding". Marine Log. 2018-10-18. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  13. ^ "Watch a New Staten Island Ferry Get Launched into the Water". Untapped New York. 2019-11-18. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  14. ^ a b "Eastern Shipbuilding launches second new Staten Island ferry". Workboat. July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  15. ^ Bascome, Erik (July 2, 2020). "New Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis ferryboat delivery delayed again". silive. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  16. ^ Lovallo, Lauren (August 14, 2021). "See new Staten Island ferryboat named after hometown hero arrive in New York Harbor". silive. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  17. ^ "Eastern Shipbuilding launches third Ollis-class ferry for New York's Staten Island Ferry". WorkBoat. March 1, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  18. ^ Bascome, Erik (2022-02-14). "Staten Island Ferry boat SSG Michael H. Ollis makes maiden voyage with passenger service to Manhattan". silive. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
Retrieved from ""