A Hybrid Ferry Offers a Cleaner Run to Governors Island
Julio Santiago nudged a controller that looked as if it belonged on a video game console, and added a footnote to the maritime history of New York City. He became the first captain at the helm of a hybrid-electric ferry, a $33 million vessel that officials said was cleaner than conventional diesel-powered ferries.
Captain Santiago steered the new ferry, the Harbor Charger, on its inaugural run to Governors Island, the 172-acre oasis across New York Harbor from Lower Manhattan. Officials who were onboard said the ship was the future of maritime transportation, at least for trips like the ones to and from Governors Island.
From the pier on South Street, the island is only 800 yards away — less than half a mile. But the route crisscrosses one of the busiest waterways in the world. Captain Santiago said he has to be on the lookout for things like chunks of ice in the winter — and swimmers like one who front-crawled by, shadowed by a kayak, while Captain Santiago was standing in the wheelhouse, waiting to rev the engine and pull away from Manhattan.
The Harbor Charger is quieter than a conventional ferry, and Captain Santiago said it was also more maneuverable. 'This boat would actually turn on a dime — you could turn it 360 degrees,' he said.
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