The Staten Island Ferry Division of the City of New York Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) has taken delivery of the first in a series of three double-ended passenger-only ferries built by Florida-based Eastern Shipbuilding Group.
SSG Michael H. Ollis was built to a design developed by Elliott Bay Design Group of Seattle. The 319- by 69-foot (97- by 21-metre) ferry has a design draught of 12.8 feet (3.9 metres) and capacity for 16 crewmembers and 4,500 passengers.
The newbuild has four ABS L12ME23B electro-motive diesel engines that are US EPA Tier IV-compliant. The propulsion is arranged so that two engines power one ABS Reintjes DUP 3000 P combining gear and one ABS 36 RV6 ECS/285-2 Voith Schneider Propeller at each end of the vessel.
