Ollis-class ferry

The Ollis-class ferries are passenger ferries that are planned to enter service for the Staten Island Ferry in the early 2020s.[1] 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.[2][3]

Ollis-class ferry
Class overview
Builders: Eastern Shipbuilding
Operators: Staten Island Ferry
Preceded by: Molinari-class
In service: 2020s-
Planned: 3
General characteristics
Type: Ollis-class passenger ferry
Length: 320 ft (98 m)
Beam: 70 ft (21 m)
Draft: 13 ft (4.0 m)
Propulsion: EMD 710 diesel engines
Capacity: 4,500 passengers
Crew: 16

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.[4] The Elliott Bay Design 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.[5][4] 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.[6] 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.[7]

In November 2016, Eastern Shipbuilding was confirmed as the low bidder for constructing the ships,[2] and the shipyard was awarded the contract with a notice to proceed on March 1, 2017.[3] 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.[3] The first vessel, MV Michael H. Ollis, was expected to be delivered in mid-2019,[3] followed later that year by MV Sandy Ground, named after an early African American settlement on Staten Island. The as-yet-unnamed third vessel would have been delivered in 2020.[8]

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.[9] Other proposed namesakes include Russel Timoshenko, an NYPD officer killed in the line of duty in 2007.[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]

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).[3] They will carry 4,500 passengers, with a crew complement of 16.[3][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.[3]

References
  1. "Staten Island Ferry: A look back at the various boats". Staten Island Advance. April 26, 2016. Retrieved 2017-09-21.
  2. "Eastern low bidder for Staten Island Ferry contract". Marine Log. November 3, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  3. "Eastern Shipbuilding confirms deal for Staten Island Ferries". Marine Log. April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  4. "EBDG awarded Staten Island Ferry design contract". Marine Log. August 4, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  5. Barone, Vin (August 6, 2014). "New York City selects designer for new fleet of Staten Island ferries". Staten Island Advance. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
  6. "$191.6 million grant for new Staten Island Ferries". Marine Log. September 17, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  7. 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.
  8. "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.
  9. Porpora, Tracey (September 10, 2017). "Petition to name ferry boat after 9/11 hero reaches 11,000". SILive.com. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
  10. 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.
  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. "Eastern Shipbuilding launches second new Staten Island ferry". Workboat. July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
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