Incat Crowther set for aggressive NYC ferry build schedule

JULY 15, 2016 — Incat Crowther says it is already delivering production engineering to satisfy the aggressive build schedule for the 26-meter catamaran ferries that it has designed for Hornblower, the selected operator of New York City’s new Citywide Ferry Service.

As we reported earlier this month, Hornblower has issued contracts to Horizon Shipbuilding, Inc., Bayou La Batre, AL, and Metal Shark Aluminum Boats, Jeanerette, LA, that will see them build and deliver 14 ferries by the first quarter of 2017, and the remaining five ferries by 2018. The service, which will be operated by Hornblower under a contract with the city, will launch in the summer of 2017.

“Incat Crowther is proud to be involved in such a significant project in one of the busiest cities in the world,” says.Grant Pecoraro, General Manager of Incat Crowther’s North America office. “We look forward to solidifying our position as a world leader for vessel designs in this type of operation.”

“Incat Crowther was selected because of their specialization and vast experience in naval architecture and design of efficient passenger ferries,” says Junior Volpe, Director of Special Projects for Hornblower.

Incat Crowther says the 150-passenger vessels will have spacious interiors, with ADA access, wide aisles, a concession stand and Wi-Fi.

The design features bow loading specifically designed to integrate with standard infrastructure, some of which will be built or redeveloped for this project.

The foredeck also houses bicycle racks and room for strollers.

The design has been developed in close cooperation with Hornblower, leveraging Incat Crowther’s experience and expertise in the U.S. ferry industry to satisfy challenging operational and regulatory requirements.

Key attributes include low wash, high fuel efficiency and low emissions, cold water operation and the robustness to reliably service a high frequency commuter operation, estimated to service 4.6 million passenger trips per year once the service reaches its full potential.