Page 52: of Marine News Magazine (November 2021)

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TOP BOATS 2021

There’s a lot to like about the newest vessel commis- sioned by the New York City Department of Transporta-

SSG MICHAEL tion’s (NYCDOT) iconic Staten Island Ferry. The state-of- the art 320-foot, 4,500-passenger SSG Michael H. Ollis

H. OLLIS commissioned in October sports the classic design features of the instantly recognizable the Staten Island Ferry ? eet, but it’s updated throughout for improved comfort, safety

FIRST IN A NEW CLASS FOR and ef? ciency.

Named in honor of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Michael H.

A NEW YORK CITY ICON

Ollis, a Staten Island native who was killed shielding fellow soldiers from a suicide bomber in Afghanistan in 2013, the newbuild is the ? rst in a series of three Ollis class ferries de- signed by Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) and built by

Eastern Shipbuilding Group for Staten Island Ferry. “The

Staten Island Ferry is an iconic transportation vessel recog- nized around the globe. For [the new ferry class] to honor one of our fallen heroes makes it even more special,” said

Joey D’Isernia, President of Eastern Shipbuilding Group.

According to Eastern, the new ferries are larger, re? ect modern technology and will operate more safely in extreme weather conditions. They feature new customer-service ame- nities such as more comfortable seating and phone-charging outlets and an oval upper-deck promenade that will for the ? rst time serve as an outdoor walking track for riders.

John Waterhouse, chief concept engineer at EBDG, said a key priority when designing the Ollis class was to ensure the new ferries interface seamlessly with existing terminals to ensure that the service maintains its “brisk schedule”. In addition, the new ferries were designed with a number of “resiliency features” in mind, as in the wake of 9/11 and

Superstorm Sandy the vessels would be used, if necessary, to help evacuate New York City. According to Waterhouse, part of this resiliency is the Voith Schneider propulsion units, which allow “a great deal of maneuverability and control of the vessel when coming into places that might not be its normal dock.” The new vessels also feature side doors so that they can load passengers alongside instead of solely through the ends of the ferry.

Each ferry features four ABS Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) L12ME23B at 750 rpm EPA Tier 4 marine pro- pulsion engines with two engines powering one ABS Re- intjes DUP 3000 P combining gear and one ABS 36 RV6

ECS/285-2 Voith Schneider Propeller at each end of the vessel. Power generation is provided by three ABS, EPA

Tier 3 marine continuous duty diesel generator sets, Cater- pillar C18 driving 480 V, 60 Hz, 3-phase generators rated at 425 kW at 0.8 P.F. at 1,800 rpm.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group 52 | MN November 2021