The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has contracted Derecktor Shipyards to build a new 70-foot (20-metre), 150-passenger catamaran ferry for Sapelo Island, with construction starting at Derecktor’s Dania Beach, Florida yard before year-end.
The vessel was designed by UK-based naval architecture firm Chartwell Marine.
The ferry will operate between the Meridian Dock on the mainland and Marsh Landing Dock on Sapelo Island in McIntosh County, Georgia, serving residents, researchers and visitors travelling to and from the island.
Alongside passenger transport, it will carry cargo, essential goods, building materials and scientific equipment, providing an important connection for the local community and scientific institutions.
The new catamaran will become the island’s primary vessel, with the existing state-operated ferry retained as a reserve.
Chartwell Marine said the design is consistent with the current ferry’s look and feel, while its boarding and mooring arrangements have been developed to support accessibility and work with the docking infrastructure on the island.