First steel cut for new ferry for Florida’s Fisher Island

The Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Panama City, Florida, has cut the first steel to be used in the construction of a new Ro-Pax ferry ordered by the Fisher Island Community Association (FICA) in southern Florida.

Named Falcon, the vessel will be constructed at ESG's Allanton and Port St Joe facilities and is scheduled for delivery in the spring of 2026. Design work will be provided by the Elliott Bay Design Group of Seattle, Washington.

The new ferry will take over the routes once served by Heron, an earlier ESG-built vessel that was acquired by FICA over 20 years prior.

Once completed, the vessel will have an LOA of 152 feet (46.3 metres), a beam of 52 feet (16 metres), a depth of 12 feet (3.7 metres), a draught of eight feet (2.4 metres), a total installed power of 1,200 hp (895 kW), and capacity for 150 passengers and 30 cars.

Joey D'Isernia, Chairman and CEO of ESG, said the ferry will be built with yacht-style finishes and will provide safe and comfortable transportation for residents of the Fisher Island Community.