UPDATE
Eastern Shipbuilding Launches Third Ollis Class Ferry LAUNCHED MARCH 26, the Dorothy Day
is the third of the three 320 foot long Ollis class Staten Island ferries being built by Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s Allanton shipyard in Panama City, Fla., for the City of New York Department of Transportation Staten Island Ferry Division. T h e n o t - p ro f i t D i e s e l Te ch n o l o g y Forum (DTF) says that the ferries bring the latest in efficient and clean public transportation options to New Yorkers, as they are powered by the fourth and newest generation of advanced technology diesel engines. Main propulsion power is provided by two pairs of Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) 12-710 @ 900 rpm EPA Tier 4 marine propulsion engines with each pair driving a RV6 ECS/285-2 Voith Schneider Propeller via a Reintjes DUP 3000 P combining gear. Electrical power generation is provided by three EPA Tier 3 marine continuo u s d u t y d i e s e l g en e r a to r s e t s , e a ch 10 Marine Log // April 2021
comprising a Caterpillar C18 driving a 480 V, 60 Hz, 3-phase generator rated at 425 kW at 0.8 PF @ 1,800 rpm. The new Staten Island Ollis Class Ferries series are named after fallen soldier of the U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division Sgt. Michael H. Ollis, a Staten Island native killed in Afghanistan on August 28, 2013, at age 24. He lost his life when he stepped into the path of a Polish officer, blocking him from the suicide vest of an insurgent. At the launch ceremony, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, representing New York’s 11th congressional district, served as the ship’s sponsor and broke the ceremonial bottle of champagne over the bow. “Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis is our hometown hero who bravely gave his life for our nation,” she said. “His name is one that all Staten Islanders can be proud of as they view the best sites New York City has to offer.”
Meyer Werft Wins Breakthrough Cruise Ship Order GERMANY’S MEYER WERFT has become the first shipyard to win an order to build a new cruise ship since the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic. The order has been placed by Japan’s NYK group and is for a 740-passenger, 51,950 grt. vessel that will be operated by NYK Cruises’ Asuka Cruises brand. It is the NYK Group’s first order at Meyer Werft. Meyer Werft says the order is an important signal for its Papenburg, Germany, shipyard which has the world’s largest covered building dock. Though the Asuka Cruises will be relatively small at 229 meters in length, Meyer Werft Managing Director Jan Meyer says the order is “another very important step towards securing the Papenburg site.” He says the order has been won “with the best ship concept, innovations, quality and a very challenging price for us.” The newbuilding for NYK Cruises will be LNG fueled and implements a range of customized solutions that include hydrodynamics optimized in accordance with the planned routes as well as on-board facilities adapted to the needs of Japanese passengers. As a result of the pandemic, there will also be innovations to the air-conditioning systems and contactless controls. “This is the first order in the shipyard’s 226year history where all contract documents and plans were prepared and negotiated via video conferencing,” said Meyer. “The effort has paid off.” Meyer Werft still faces challenges as it works through its backlog of existing cruse ship orders. Thus far, even with this latest order, it only has two ships on its books for the Papendrecht yard in 2025. Production at the yard is designed for an annual construction volume of 420,000 gt., but the two ships in 2025 have a total volume of only 182,000 gt.
The new cruise ship will operate for NYK Cruises’ Asuka Cruises brand.
Photo Credits: (Top) Eastern Shipbuilding Group; (Bottom) NYK Cruises
The Dorothy Day is the third of the three 320 foot long Ollis Class Staten Island ferries being built by Eastern Shipbuilding Group.
