Page 30: of Marine News Magazine (January 2026)

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Feature

Fire Island Ferries than most may realize. The company serves eight Fire Is- “If it ain’t broke, don’t break it” land communities on the western end of the island, oper- Rather than continually chasing newbuilds, Fire Island ating year-round ferry service, a full-length water taxi op- Ferries’ current capital strategy centers on repowering its eration that runs from end to end of Fire Island and out to existing ? eet, many of which have already proven their du-

Captree, and a growing marine services division support- rability for decades.

ing dock construction, tug-and-barge work and waterfront The company’s workhorse passenger vessels are typically infrastructure projects. 85 feet long, 22 feet wide, drawing just 3.5 to 4 feet, the lat-

All told, the company operates roughly “40 ? oating as- ter a critical parameter in working on the thin waters of the sets,” including ferries, water taxis, tugs and barges. Dur- Great South Bay. The ferries are triple-screw vessels, a delib- ing peak summer months, staf? ng swells to approximately erate design choice that prioritizes redundancy and maneu- 350 employees across operations; from captains and deck- verability. Fully laden, they burn approximately 38 gallons hands to ticketing staff, parking attendants and valets at per hour, remarkably ef? cient given the operating pro? le.

Bay Shore terminals. While Fire Island Ferries’ passenger At the heart of the current investment cycle is the re- traf? c have returned to pre-COVID levels and remained placement of legacy Detroit Diesel engines with newer remarkably consistent over time, the business model, how- John Deere Tier 3 engines. The drivers behind the decision ever, is anything but predictable. “Good weather, good were both practical and philosophical.

business. Bad weather, bad business,” Mooney says. “Sim- “They’re American-made: that mattered to me,” Mooney ple formula, hard to execute.” says. Equally important, the engines were near plug-and-

Isle of Fire during construction at

Blount Boats in

Warren, RI.

Blount Boats 30 | MN January 2026