Staten Island Ferry’s second Ollis-class vessel sails on delivery voyage

By Baird Maritime - December 13, 2021.

*The Staten Island Ferry Sandy Ground during sea trials off the Florida coast (Photo: Eastern Shipbuilding Group)*

The Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Panama City, Florida, delivered a new vessel to the Staten Island Ferry division of the City of New York Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) on Wednesday, December 8.

Sandy Ground departed Eastern’s Port St Joe shipyard on Wednesday and is now en route to New York City. The trip will take approximately 14 days.

Upon arrival, the ferry will be staged at Caddell Dry Dock for cleaning and another round of trials and training. It is scheduled to begin transporting passengers in 2022.

As with earlier sister SSG Michael H. Ollis, which was delivered earlier this year, Sandy Ground is a double-ended ferry with a length of 320 feet (97.5 metres) and capacity for 4,500 passengers. Dorothy Day, the third and final vessel in the same series, is scheduled for delivery in 2022.

Design work on the three Ollis-class ferries was done by Elliott Bay Design Group of Seattle.