The following is text of a news release from Incat Crowther:
(SYDNEY, Australia) — Incat Crowther has announced the successful delivery of the first two low-emission EPA Tier 4-compliant 95-foot passenger ferries, named H401 and Curiosity, for the still expanding NYC Ferry by Hornblower. The Incat Crowther Digital Ship design package allowed identical vessels 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 17 Incat Crowther-designed 85-foot vessels and 14 95-foot vessels that already been delivered to NYC Ferry. Four additional 85-foot vessels are currently under construction at Gulf Craft and Metal Shark, both of Franklin, La., along with one additional 95-foot vessel under construction at St. John’s Shipbuilding in Palatka, Fla. Upon completion of these additional vessels, the NYC Ferry fleet will have grown to 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 onboard 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 cooperation 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.
