Metal Shark Inks Deal to Build Fire Island Ferries to EBDG Design
Metal Shark won a contract to build a new vehicle ferry for Fire Island Ferries, a vessel designed by Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG).
Construction of the new Fire Island Maid recently commenced at Metal Shark’s Bayou La Batre, Alabama shipyard, and the 70 x 23-ft.vessel features a steel hull and aluminum superstructure. With its hydraulically operated bow ramp and reinforced decks designed to support fully loaded concrete trucks and general cargo, the new ferry will provide transport between Bay Shore, New York and various ports along the Great South Bay of Fire Island.
The new ferry will be powered by twin Cummins QSL9 Tier 3 marine engines with ZF Marine CruiseCommand control system and transmissions. Electrical power shall be provided by a Cummins Onan MDK generator.
“This is the second vehicle ferry built by Metal Shark for the communities of Fire Island, following the 70-ft. vessel built at our Franklin, La., shipyard for Beachcomber Freight (Sayville Ferry) in 2018,” said Carl Wegener, Metal Shark’s VP of Commercial Sales.
John Waterhouse, Elliott Bay Design Group PE – Principal in Charge, added, “Elliott Bay Design Group is pleased to have been selected for the design of this workboat. The folks at Fire Island have been terrific to work with and we look forward to seeing Metal Shark make the magic happen.”