VESSEL REVIEW | Governors I – 400-passenger ferry for the popular route between Manhattan and Governors Island

Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) designed a double-ended ferry for Governors Island to provide transportation between the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan and Soissons Landing. The passenger-only ferry has an overall length of 132′ (40 metres) and capacity for 400 passengers.

The Trust for Governors Island issued an invitation for bid (IFB) for a small, passenger-only ferry vessel in February 2017, looking for design and construction responses. EBDG partnered with Blount Boats of Warren, Rhode Island.

Specifications included that the vessel would be used and certified to transport at least 334 passengers and three crew between existing ferry terminals in Manhattan and on Governors Island on 20-minute roundtrips. Regulatory requirements included meeting United States Coast Guard Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 46 Subchapter K.

Other design requirements included room for bike storage, good throughput to provide for efficient passenger flow, a vessel with high maneuverability and enough speed to make the required schedule.

The interior of the vessel is pretty simple: seating is provided along the exterior perimeter of the passenger deck while the centre of the vessel is left open for standing. This design function allows for heavy traffic flow during the boarding process.

“The design was simple as the vessel requirements were clear,” EBDG told Baird Maritime. “However, the biggest challenge our team faced was the hydrodynamics of the vessel, due to the speed and maneuverability requirements. Our team utilised computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to determine optimal hull form based upon the vessels specifications.

“After vessel construction our engineers conducted a full vessel 3D scan using Matterport. We were able to overlay the 3D images produced from the scan with our vessel rendering. This is a great learning experience in design practicality.

“3D scanning is a valuable tool that our team is using for several marine applications. Not only is it a great visual aid and communication tool but it allows our engineers to evaluate data and solve problems more precisely.”

Governors 1 has dual 800 hp engines, so maintaining optimal air pressure and temperature was critical for peak performance and efficiency, as well as crew comfort and safety. Delta “T”” engineered the system with two five-horsepower intakes and two two-horsepower exhaust fans controlled by a 600-C2 manual control. Humidity is managed with a pair of high-performance aluminum moisture eliminators.

The propulsion system comprises two Cummins QSK19, Tier III, 800 bhp (600 bkW) main engines operating at 1,800 rpm, driving Hundested 63-inch (1.6-metre) controllable pitch propellers via Hundested CPG38 3.96:1 gearboxes. The Hundested CPP and high lift rudder provide the power and functionality the owner was looking for.

“From our perspective as engineers, the driveline of the vessel is interesting,” EBDG added. “The owner required we stay within Tier III emission requirements while providing maximum horsepower to meet schedule requirements and provide a high degree of maneuverability and vessel responsiveness.”

Click here for the other news, features and reviews comprising this month’s Passenger Vessel Week