VESSEL REVIEW | Falcon – Lifeline Ro-Pax ferry to serve Florida's Fisher Island community

The Fisher Island Community Association (FICA) in southern Florida has taken delivery of a new double-ended Ro-Pax ferry built by the Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) based in Panama City.

Falcon was constructed at ESG's Allanton and Port St Joe facilities. Design work was provided by the Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) of Seattle in compliance with US Coast Guard Subchapter T requirements.

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. Falcon will provide scheduled transportation between Terminal Island in Miami and Fisher Island, carrying residents, guests, employees, contractors, service vehicles, and deliveries throughout the day.

Enhanced comfort for daily operation

As the island's primary transportation link, the ferry will operate continuously to support daily community access.

“Falcon was designed to transport passengers and vehicles while providing a level of comfort and refinement not typically found aboard working ferries,” Bart Manzer, Project Manager at EBDG, told Baird Maritime.

“The vessel features premium finishes more commonly associated with luxury yachts, including flush inboard bulwarks, stainless steel detailing, underlit lounge seating, and composite wood decks. Three enclosed passenger lounges provide comfortable accommodation for travelers, creating a modern, high-quality passenger experience while meeting the daily transportation needs of the Fisher Island community.”

Designed to ensure year-round use

Falcon has 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.

“The owner required a reliable, purpose-built replacement ferry capable of supporting Fisher Island's daily transportation needs while improving passenger comfort, operational efficiency, and long-term maintainability,” added EBDG On-Site Shipyard Inspector Jason Morris. “The vessel was designed to provide dependable year-round service between Fisher Island and Miami while meeting current regulatory requirements and integrating modern marine technologies.”

Morris added that the ferry will provide the community with a modern vessel designed for improved reliability, passenger comfort, operational efficiency, and long-term service. The vessel will also ensure uninterrupted transportation while reducing maintenance demands and supporting the island's future transportation needs.

The vessel is powered by two Caterpillar C18 diesel engines driving controllable-pitch propellers (CPPs). Manzer said the propulsion arrangement provides the manoeuvrability and responsiveness required for the vessel's frequent docking operations while supporting reliable daily service.

“The combination of a double-ended ferry configuration with CPPs allows the vessel to efficiently operate in either direction without turning around between crossings,” Manzer explained. “This arrangement improves manoeuvrability, minimises turnaround time, and enhances operational efficiency on the short route between Fisher Island and Miami.”

Coordination as key to resolving design and supply chain issues

For EBDG, one of the primary design challenges was developing a fully functional passenger and vehicle ferry that would provide a comfortable ride while minimising wake and splash generation.

“Because the vessel operates in a constrained route with frequent docking operations, careful attention was given to hull form, stability, manoeuvrability, and hydrodynamic performance to ensure efficient operation and passenger comfort under a wide range of operating conditions,” Manzer told Baird Maritime.

During construction, the main challenges were in procurement and quality control.

“Like many modern shipbuilding projects, obtaining equipment and materials on schedule required careful coordination with suppliers,” Morris remarked. “Equally important was ensuring the shipyard maintained a robust quality assurance program throughout construction so that workmanship, system integration, and regulatory compliance met the owner's expectations and long-term operational requirements.”

Morris emphasised that the work on Falcon taught the importance of establishing a strong documentation and engineering submittal process from the outset.

“Clear communication and a well-structured document control system between the owner, engineering firm, shipyard, and equipment suppliers are essential to keeping the project on schedule, managing changes effectively and ensuring all stakeholders remain aligned throughout design and construction,” said Morris. “This collaborative approach can be applied to future vessel builds to improve efficiency, quality, and overall project execution.”