Page 89: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 1995)

High Speed Ferry Proposal For Long Island, N.Y.

According to a report released in January by the Suffolk County, New York Budget

Review Office (BRO), the legisla- ture is exploring plans to imple- ment a $76 million project that would connect Shoreham, Long Is- land and New Haven, Conn, via high-speed ferries across the Long

Island Sound.

The ferry prosposal originates from the need to find an alternate and more economically efficient mode of connecting New York and

New England for trading purposes.

The Long Island Sound Shuttle

Limited Partnership (LISSLP), au- thors of the ferry proposal, submit- ted a theoretical cross-Sound ferry operational plan whereby two ves- sels would be constructed, each de- signed to cross in 30 minutes at a cruising speed in the 40-knot range—carrying people, cars and trucks. The proposed LISSLP ves- sel is the HM 780, to be designed by

Hovermarine International, Ltd.

The HM 780 will be propelled by four 7,000 hp diesel engines and two 14,000 hp waterjets. The ves- sel proportions would be 262 ft. (79.8 m) by 81.25 ft. (24.7 m), with a weight of 850 gt.

The vessel's cruising speed is designed to be 40 knots, topping out at 60 knots. Although this vessel would be the first of its kind, some existing vessels meet most of the specifications of the HM 780. For example, Schichau Seebeckwerft's

SSW 320 vessel, Stena's 407-ft. (124 m) catamaran, FBM Marine's 147.6- ft. (45 m) aluminum catamaran

TriCat, Dutch yard Royal Schelde's 230-ft. (70 m) catamaran, Kvaerner

Fjellstrand's 131-ft. (40 m) catama- ran (Flying Cat), and Westamarin's 50-knot FoilCat 3000. The esti- mated cost for each vessel is $24 million.

The Budget Review Office's study estimated that losses would total $2.8 million for the first year, and after five years, would total $10.2 million.

By the sixth year, there is a pre- dicted turnaround in net income and cumulative net would turn posi- tive in year nine.

LISSLP financial projections es- timate they would stand to break even the first year, experience losses in the next two years, and absorb long-term profits of $15.8 million after 10 years.

The cost of meeting environmen- tal standards has not been substan- tiated, although it has been esti- mated that extensive overhauling of the Shoreham dock configura- tion would not be necessary, since

LISSLP's proposed vessels are sur- face vessels, not requiring exces- sive space for manueverability.

Other projects, such as dredging channels, constructing jetties and breakwaters, and reducing shore- line erosion would also be consid- ered in the assessment of environ- mental costs.

The conclusion of the Suffolk

County Budget Review Office is that the project is economically feasible, but, like most ventures, would carry financial risks.

The development of the ferry pro- posal has the potential to impact both the regional economy and trans- portation network. The Budget Re- view Office projected a net benefit for local Long Island communities due to the availability of lower cost goods from New England.

Both Connecticut and New York would benefit from the additional transportation option, which would be aquired with no public outlay.

In early February, the Suffolk

County legislature voted down a resolution, discouraging the Long

Island Lighting Company (LILCO), the owners of the proposed

Shoreham site, from leasing the property to LISSLP for development of the project. Some of the legisla- tors appear to be concerned that the project will dip into public funds, and possibly require government subsidies.

Ultimately, the ferry project has been designed to create jobs and open new markets, and to function solely on private funding.

According to Budget Review Of- fice DirectorFred Pollert, the reso- lution was designed to direct LILCO, and is non-binding. The ferry pro- posal is not dead, and shuttle group investors are continuing negotia- tions with LILCO, while investigat- ing other sites for the ferry project's development.

The details pertaining to the ferry proposal plan were obtained from the Suffolk County, New

York legislature's Budget Review

Office report, Review Of The Pro- posed High Speed Ferry Service

Between Shoreham, New York & New Haven, Connecticut.

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