Incat Crowther is pleased to announce the successful delivery of the first two low emission EPA Tier 4 compliant 29m passenger ferries, named H401 and Curiosity, for the still expanding NYC Ferry by Hornblower. The Incat Crowther Digital Ship design package allowed identical vessel to be constructed at independent shipyards; Halimar Shipyard of Morgan City, LA and Breaux Brothers Enterprises of Loreauville, LA.
Although the vessels were commissioned prior to the current tragic circumstances caused by the Covid 19 emergency, it is expected that the high passenger demand NYC Ferry has experienced since commencing operations in 2017 will return. The new vessels complement the seventeen (17) Incat Crowther designed 26m vessels and fourteen (14) 29m vessels already been delivered to NYC Ferry. Four (4) additional 26m vessels are currently under construction at Gulf Craft and Metal Shark, both of Franklin, LA, along with one (1) additional 29m vessel under construction at St John’s Shipbuilding in Palatka, FL. Upon completion of these additional vessels, the NYC Ferry fleet will have grown to an amazing 38 vessels just over three years.
The new vessels include seats for 354 passengers, dedicated bicycle storage, disability access, mobile device charging stations, Wi-Fi connectivity and a well-equipped on-board convenience store by The New Stand. All the vessels are equipped with main engines from Baudouin, but unlike any of the existing vessels in operation, the new vessels are equipped with EPA Tier 4 compliant engines which further reduce emissions. In order to bring the engines into compliance with Tier 4, Incat Crowther integrated a Baudouin-supplied SCR system into the vessel design along with the necessary urea tanks and dosing system components.
The innovative NYC Ferry fleet has been developed in close co-operation with Hornblower, leveraging Incat Crowther’s comprehensive digital design package and expertise in the U.S. ferry industry to satisfy challenging operational and regulatory requirements.
The growing NYC Ferry fleet continues to form the backbone of a modern, comfortable and efficient urban ferry fleet that is offering New York City commuters the ability to access more parts of metropolitan area than ever before.