Other NYC Ferries 2

Other NYC Ferries

In addition to the vessels chronicled on the previous pages the City of New York ran smaller sized ferryboats from various locations on the East Side of Manhattan to points in the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn. These boats were referred to officially as Category B Vessels and were commissioned between 1922 and 1931. As a boost to their already large egos Mayors John Hylan and James Walker ordered these vessels were named after living local politicians. This practice ceased in the late 1920’s during the Mayor Walker corruption scandals and would officially change in 1934 when Mayor La Guardia signed a law mandating any city owned vessel named in someone’s honor must be done so posthumously. The original names given to these smaller ferry boats were immediately changed to local city neighborhoods.

John A. Lynch (Harlem)

Commission Date

1925

Gross Tonnage

Passengers / Cars

Builder

Staten Island Ship Builders

Engines

Propulsion

Horsepower

Length / Width

Built in 1925 in Staten Island, NY, by the Mariners Harbor Staten Island Ship Builders. State Senator from Richmond County, New York. Later elected Borough President of Staten Island. Vessel ran mostly between various locations in Upper Manhattan/Bronx and Queens.

Joseph J. O'Brien (Jamaica)

Commission Date

1925

Gross Tonnage

Passengers / Cars

Builder

Staten Island Ship Builders

Engines

Propulsion

Horsepower

Length / Width

Built in 1925 in New York, by Sullivan Ship Builders. O’Brien was a Democratic Party boss from Queens and was the official “Elector” for New York for President of the United States in 1933.

Mott Haven

Commission Date

1925

Gross Tonnage

Passengers / Cars

Builder

Todd Shipyard

Engines

Steam Paddle Wheel

Propulsion

Horsepower

Length / Width

Named after the Bronx neighborhood was built in 1925 in Brooklyn, NY, by the Todd Shipyard. First of three “mini ferries” the Mott Haven ran mostly between the Bronx and Randall’s and North Brother Islands.

Greenwich Village

Commission Date

1925

Gross Tonnage

Passengers / Cars

Builder

Todd Shipyard

Engines

Propulsion

Horsepower

Length / Width

Named after the Manhattan neighborhood was built in 1925 in Brooklyn, NY, by the Todd Shipyard. Second of three “mini ferries” the Greenwich Village was in service between Bronx and College Point and was later used by the NYC Department of Correction for inmate transport from Rikers Island to Potter’s Field on Harts Island.

Melrose

Commission Date

1925

Gross Tonnage

Passengers / Cars

Builder

Todd Shipyard

Engines

Propulsion

Horsepower

Length / Width

Named after the Bronx neighborhood was built in 1925 in Brooklyn, NY, by the Todd Shipyard. Vessel ran mostly between various locations in Upper Manhattan/Bronx and Queens.

Yorkville

Commission Date

1925

Gross Tonnage

Passengers / Cars

Builder

Todd Shipyard

Engines

Propulsion

Horsepower

Length / Width

Named after the Manhattan neighborhood was built in 1925 in Brooklyn, NY, by the Todd Shipyard. Vessel ran mostly between various locations in Upper Manhattan/Bronx and Queens.

Chelsea

Commission Date

1930

Gross Tonnage

Passengers / Cars

Builder

Todd Shipyard

Engines

Steam Paddle Wheel

Propulsion

Horsepower

Length / Width

Named after the Manhattan neighborhood and was built in 1930 in Brooklyn, NY, by the Todd Shipyard. The Chelsea the third of three “mini ferries” ran mostly between the Bronx, Randall’s and North Brother Islands.

Murray Hill

Commission Date

1931

Gross Tonnage

Passengers / Cars

Builder

Todd Shipyard

Engines

Propulsion

Horsepower

Length / Width

Named after the Manhattan neighborhood was built in 1931 in Brooklyn, NY, by the Todd Shipyard and was used between Brooklyn and Staten Island from the 69th St Pier.

Washington Square

Commission Date

1925

Gross Tonnage

Passengers / Cars

Builder

Staten Island Ship Builders

Engines

Propulsion

Horsepower

Length / Width

Named after the Manhattan neighborhood was built in 1931 in Brooklyn, NY, by the Todd Shipyard and was used between Brooklyn and Staten Island from the 69th St Pier.

Welfare

Commission Date

1925

Gross Tonnage

Passengers / Cars

Builder

Staten Island Ship Builders

Engines

Propulsion

Horsepower

Length / Width

225' / 61'

Named after the island in which it served (Welfare Island now Roosevelt Island) it was built in 1930 in Brooklyn, NY, by the Todd Shipyard. It was the first singled-ended ferry purchased by the City of New York and ran exclusively between the foot of E 86th St in Manhattan and Welfare Island.

Some Interesting Facts

The 5 cents fare was established in 1897. On October 10, 1972, the fare was raised to 10 cents. In 1975 the fare was increased to 25 cents. On August 1, 1990, the fare went up to 50 cents. Finally, on July 4, 1997 the fare for foot passengers on the ferry was eliminated.

In 1926 the city’s original white color scheme was eliminated in favor of a reddish maroon. This was changed to municipal orange later so that they could be seen in heavy fog and snow.

In 1817 the cost to cross the harbor was 25 cents and half price for children. This was the cost to ride the Nautilus, the first steam ferry to make the famous trip. The Nautilus was commanded by Captain John De Forest

Three of the ferries that were built to make the trip across the harbor were bought by the U.S. Navy to fight in the civil war. The Southfield I, Westfield I, and the Clifton I. None of these ferries ever returned to New York.

On May 16, 1981, the American Legion was rammed in the fog by a Norwegian freighter.

Steam was used on the Staten Island ferries up until the 1980’s.

The Pvt. Joseph Merrill and Cornelius G. Kolff ferries were converted to prison dormitories for Riker’s Island.

In 1960, a bomb was set off on the Knickerbocker. There were no injuries.

On February 8, 1958, The Dongan Hills was hit by the Norwegian tanker Tynefield. 15 passengers were injured.

In the 1700s, ferry service was provided by private individuals with small twin mast sailboats called per augers.

In 1978, the American Legion crashed into the concrete seawall near the Statue of Liberty ferry port during a dense fog. 173 were injured.