Staten Island Ferry Completes Maiden Voyage

The Spirit of America, the third and last in the new Molinari class of Staten Island ferryboats, had its maiden voyage on April 5 with a low-key trip across New York Harbor. Ferry managers and a handful of elected leaders took the inaugural trip, a 10 a.m. run from St. George that commenced without the ceremony, speeches and hoopla that welcomed the Spirit's sister vessels, Guy V. Molinari and Sen. John J. Marchi. Staten Island Advance readers voted to name the boat Sprit of America in 2004, after its original name, September 11, was deemed inappropriate by many people. The Spirit can carry as many as 4,400 passengers on its four passenger decks. The Molinari entered the fleet in January 2005 and the Marchi followed in May. The Spirit has mostly sat idle at St. George Ferry Terminal since arriving from its Wisconsin shipyard September 15, as city lawyers pressed the shipbuilders to make adjustments to all three new boats under their warranty agreement. It's being used for regular service. (Source: Staten Island Advance)