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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Potentially Disastrous Leaks Ground NYC Ferry Service

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The city’s new ferry service, which was launched in May with great enthusiasm from Mayor de Blasio, is having more than its fair share of trouble. As reported by the NY Post, at least five of the new boats have been quietly pulled out of service because of potentially disastrous leaks. Three of the boats, which need repairs, were still sitting on the dry dock. Last week, inspections were conducted at shipyards in Rockland County and southern New Jersey. The coastal guards requested the inspections after getting a report of “minor mechanical issues”. SCG Warrant Officer Allyson Conroy said, “heavy pitting” was found in the aluminum hulls of the three idled vessels, and repairs were ordered. Workers have been welding metal patches onto the leaky hulls. As yet, experts remain uncertain how the 3/16-inch aluminum watercrafts can be corroding so soon.

It was only seven months ago when de Blasio took a ceremonial first ride on the Ferry service. The catamaran-style ferries cost roughly $4 million each. City officials had promised they would be built “with the latest in 21st-century maritime technology and best design practices.” Taxpayers are putting $325 million into the maritime commuter program.

“There are holes the size of a pencil inside, below the water line,” a source told the Post. “In theory, you can lose one compartment, but if you get a hole punched the size of your fist in one compartment, with the water pressure, it can implode and the compartment can sink quick.” The source added, “It can list to one side and increase water pressure on the other compartment and cause this to become catastrophic quickly.”

Photos show small, round cavities and larger pitted areas in the hull of the Great Eagle ferry, and the Happy Hauler, which are being repaired. One source blamed the failure on electrolysis, or a chemical reaction. He suggests the combination of engine vibration and saltwater, possibly mixed with electrical voltage, led to a premature corrosion.

Anthony Hogrebe of the city Economic Development Corp., which funds the ferry program, downplayed the problem saying, “This is a minor issue affecting three boats. It hasn’t impacted service and it won’t cost the city a penny to fix.” A spokesman for Hornblower, which operates the NYC Ferry, said the holes were probably the result of sandblasting done to move improperly installed engine radiators. “There was some corrosion to parts of the hull, but no holes, and the structural integrity was never compromised,” said spokesman Joshua Knoller.

By: Hellen Zaboulani

 

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