The largest ferry of its type in the nation is scheduled to begin operating this Monday when SeaStreak puts the ferry Courageous in service, transporting commuters between Monmouth County and New York City.
Since arriving in Atlantic Highland this week, the Courageous has been undergoing testing by the U.S. Coast Guard, said Brian Achille, SeaStreak Engineering Director. An “open ship” viewing for the public is scheduled for noon on Sunday, Dec. 12.
Courageous might describe SeaStreak’s decision to continue building the vessel after construction started in late 2019 at Midship Marine in Harvey, Louisiana.
But the name was chosen as a tribute to first responders and people working in the medical field who continued working and commuting to New York despite the pandemic, said James D, Barker, SeaStreak vice president.
“She was not given a name until summer 2020, as we were coming out of the first wave of the pandemic. During the darkest period of the pandemic from April-May of 2020, we saw our ridership drop to about 50-100 outbound riders (a)day,” he said. “The majority of the riders during this time were medical workers who were treating patients in NYC.”
While SeaStreak transported them free of charge, the decision was made to pay tribute by naming the newest ferry for them, he said.
“The name Courageous is a tribute to the brave men and women who continued to commute to NYC at a time of great uncertainty to provide critical aid for those in need,” Barker said.
The Courageous isn’t just another ferry. It’s one for the record books, being the largest high-speed passenger catamaran operating in the United States. The ferry is seven feet longer than the Commodore, which was built in 201.
What else has this fast new ride got? Appraised at $18 million, the Courageous has “the highest level interior finish of any high-speed ferry ever built that will continue to provide the most comfortable commuting experience. Achille said. The vessel has bars on the first deck and one located behind the wheelhouse on the third deck, he said.
The Courageous also was outfitted with additional insulation in the engine and jet rooms to make a quieter ride for passengers on the first deck.
Courageous has a modified bow radius that will provide more versatility for loading passengers at different landings, Achille said. Outdoor areas of the new ferry have new LED lighting in a red, white and blue color scheme. Windows were upgraded to the latest insulated glass technology to reduce the solar load in the cabin and provide a fog free experience, he said.
Courageous has 720 seats and a current capacity of 600 — more room to social distance — compared to 505 capacity for SeaStreak’s other 141 foot long vessels used on trips between New York, New Jersey and on the Nantucket Express, Barker said.
“We believe that the extra space provided on the Courageous will dramatically improve the rider experience,” he said. “Passengers will be able to spread out more and create more distance between themselves from fellow passengers.”
The decision to build Courageous was made due to steady increases in ridership seen over the past 10 years, Barker said.
Commuter ridership is currently at about 50-60% of what it was in 2019, SeaStreaks best “normal” season, he said. Ridership is about 2,400 one-way trips daily on Tuesdays to Thursdays and fewer trips on Mondays and Fridays.
“We’ve been seeing slow, but steady growth in commuter ridership through the summer but has recently plateaued,” Barker said. “We’re optimistic that we will see more riders return to commuting starting in early January 2022.”
Similar to trends seen on NJ Transit trains and buses and PATH, recreation trips, “we are seeing great demand for recreational cruises,” Barker said
This fall, SeaStreak offered Hudson River cruises to Cold Spring and West Point and attendance was very strong, he said. West Point campus/military history tours were added in addition to Holiday Brunch/Santa cruises which had strong attendance as well.
The open third decks on the Courageous and SeaStreaks 141 foot ferries are excellent for recreational cruises 360-degree views, he said.
“They are awesome for sightseeing and whale watching trips,” Barker said. “That said, our core business is still commuting and leisure can only do so much to offset our losses in that area.”
Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com.
©2021 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit nj.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
"type" - Google News
December 13, 2021 at 07:16PM
https://ift.tt/321f22l
NY: Largest ferry of its type in U.S. ready to take to the water between N.J. and NYC - MassTransitMag.com
"type" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2WhN8Zg
https://ift.tt/2YrjQdq
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "NY: Largest ferry of its type in U.S. ready to take to the water between N.J. and NYC - MassTransitMag.com"
Post a Comment