Post by ferryfast admin on May 22, 2005 2:02:39 GMT -5
Ferry Launches Maiden Voyage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Aubrey Henderson
The Epoch Times
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 21, 2005
THE MARCHI: State Senator John J. Marchi speaks at the launching of a new ferry.
Courtesy of NYC.gov
NEW YORK — A new ferry took off on its maiden voyage last Saturday in honor of the 84th birthday of its namesake State Senator John J. Marchi.
“The Marchi” is the second of three new ferries to be completed this year, marking the centennial of the Staten Island Ferry as a city operated service. Mayor Michael Bloomberg welcomed its landing in a ceremony at the newly renovated St. George Terminal.
The boat cost $40 million to build and “…like its two sisters, …boasts an unprecedented level of technology and marine innovation,” commented Iris Weinshall, commissioner of the Department of Transportation.
Included are radar, collision avoidance communications and GPS navigation systems. The Marchi’s unique steering control system allows the rudders and the ten-foot propellers on each end of the vessel to be operated independently, providing exceptional maneuverability, enhanced passenger comfort, on-time performance, fuel efficiency and emissions control.
“The Marchi will carry up to 45,000 passengers on each flight with what is, with the spectacular view of the harbor and the sky line, one of the most popular and enjoyable activities in New York City,” said Mayor Bloomberg.
Adding to passenger enjoyment is an art instillation by Werner Klotz and John Roloff, entitled, “The Middle of the World.” It is a portal in the bridge deck through which passengers can view a video of the ocean floor as the ferry travels. As they watch, they may listen to one of 101-recorded tales of the sea, one for each trip the ferry makes weekly.
“This decision by Mayor Bloomberg to name a ferryboat for me is a tribute for which I am most grateful,” said Sen. Marchi.
Bloomberg commented that Sen. Marchi might be one of few people to have a boat named after him, which he knows how to operate. Marchi served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and saw action in the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters and in the China Sea. He then served in the U.S. Naval Reserve until 1982.
Marchi’s distinguished senate career has spanned nearly half a century, making him the longest serving legislator in the United States.
The event on May 20 was also to celebrate the reopening of the 55-year-old St. George Terminal after a $130-million renovation.
According to the DOT, the new St. George Terminal includes floor-to ceiling glass for panoramic view of the harbor and incoming ferries. Its “green features” include a new system that will save 25 percent of the energy needed to operate the facility and a 18,000 square-foot garden roof, which supports living vegetation of local flora and is visible from a public viewing area. Rather then a storm drainage system, run off will be collected in a cistern and used to irrigate the soil in the garden.
Ferry Builder <> Manitowoc Corp.
www.manitowoc.com/