Page 32: of Marine News Magazine (January 2026)

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Feature

Fire Island Ferries

Today, every vessel is equipped with GPS systems and “They’re not shooting from the hip,” said Mooney. private tracking so that the Fire Island Ferry team has a “(Many of them) have been out in the ? eld for a long time; continuous live view on the ? eet and its whereabouts, al- they know what we’re up against, so they represent us very lowing the company to monitor speed, enforce geofencing, well. They’re just a function of what the legislation says and enhance situational awareness across the ? eet. Night they have to do, and they try to give us an opportunity to and fog operations remain demanding, and Fire Island mitigate some of those challenges.”

Ferries’ captain apprenticeship program re? ects that real- Past regulatory responses — such as those following the ity, typically lasting a year or more even after licensing. dive boat Conception tragedy — have had real impacts, but he credits the Coast Guard with understanding the ? eet it

Developing a Loyal Workforce regulates. “Safety is number one,” he says. “And most of the

Unlike many maritime operators, Fire Island Ferries does time, the Coast Guard tempers requirements with reality.” not struggle to attract labor. Seasonal demand, local roots, The big regulatory challenge today says Mooney are com- and one critical advantage — everyone goes home every plying with the new Coast Guard cybersecurity rules. He night — make the company a magnet for young workers. notes the limited digital exposure of his passenger vessels helps

Roughly two-thirds of the summer workforce is under to effectively insulate the vessels themselves. “If you can ? gure 24. Many captains began working for the company in high out how to hack into a 1271, I’ll be pretty impressed,” he said.

school, earned licenses during college, and return season- Beyond regulation, the biggest challenges facing Fire ally before moving up. Applications are voluminous and Island Ferries are largely outside its control. Rapid in- ? ll many binders, Mooney says, with the company often creases in minimum wage have cascaded through payroll ? nding ample crew to ensure smooth operations through structures. Healthcare costs continue to rise — costs the family and peer networks: “We’ve found that good kids company absorbs fully for employees. Waterfront prop- usually have good friends.” erty insurance has become increasingly dif? cult to secure.

Beyond staf? ng, Mooney sees the operation as a training Weather remains the ultimate variable.

ground for life skills. “You watch kids come in at 16, staring Fuel, at least, is predictable. Mooney hedges early, lock- at their feet,” he says. “Within weeks, they’re communicat- ing in pricing for the summer season. And when the weath- ing, dealing with adults, solving problems. That matters.” er cooperates, the system performs. On July 4 last year, Fire

Island Ferries moved 26,000 passengers in a single day, the

Regulation, Reality and Scale biggest passenger haul day in company history.

Fire Island Ferries has long been active within the Pas- senger Vessel Association, working alongside regulators to Steady Ahead ensure rules re? ect operational reality. Mooney acknowl- There are no ? ashy announcements planned for 2026, edges the necessity of safety-driven regulation, from ? re Mooney concedes: No new ferries. No radical reinvention. prevention to lifesaving systems, while cautioning against Instead, Fire Island Ferries will continue repowering one-size-? ts-all mandates. vessels, expanding its marine services arm, re? ning digital

One case of overreach was when the USCG Vessel marketing efforts, and most importantly, doing what it has

General Permit environmental regulations entered force. done for nearly eight decades: moving people safely, ef- “Some of these things are impractical based on scale,” said ? ciently and reliably across the bay.

Mooney, noting that “things that work on big ships, tugs For Mooney, that continuity is the point. Fire Island’s and ocean going vessels and that have organizations with proximity to New York City makes it unique — a barrier big staffs don’t necessarily translate down into our opera- island that feels worlds away. “You’re an hour from JFK,” tion, or even smaller operations.” he says, “and suddenly everything changes.”

On balance though, he credits the Coast Guard with So does the pace of the business. The boats may get new understanding maritime operations, and balancing rules engines. The technology may evolve. But the mission re- and regulations that make sense from a safety as well as mains the same — steady, proven, and built to last to the business reality perspective. fourth generation and beyond.

32 | MN January 2026