SSG Michael H. Ollis, the first in a series of three ferries ordered by the City of New York Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) for its Staten Island Ferry Division, recently began conducting its final series of sea trials off the Florida Gulf Coast.
Following completion of the trials, the ferry will be brought to New York Harbor to undergo final preparations before it enters service.
SSG Michael H. Ollis was built by Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Panama City, Florida, to a design developed by Elliott Bay Design Group of Seattle. It has an LOA of 319 feet (97.5 metres), a moulded beam of 69 feet (21.3 metres), a design draught of 12.8 feet (3.9 metres), and space for 16 crew and 4,500 passengers.
The vessel honours US Army Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis, a Staten Island native who was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan in 2013.