PANAMA CITY, FL – On Thursday, March 9th, Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) hosted the keel authentication ceremony at its Allanton Shipyard in Panama City, FL for a new 302-foot auto and passenger ferry (ESG Hull 228) for the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company. Steel cutting for ESG Hull 228 commenced in January 2023 and a delivery is scheduled for 2024. The ferry will operate between Bridgeport, CT and Port Jefferson, NY.
“We have been doing business with McAllister for more than 30 years. We are very proud that we have earned their trust with a gold standard that repeat customers like Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company and McAllister expect from a shipyard. We look forward to adding another state-of-the-art auto and passenger ferry to their fleet,” said ESG CEO and Chairman Joey D’Isernia.
The ferry is based on the P.T. Barnum and Grand Republic auto and passenger ferries that Eastern Shipbuilding Group previously constructed for McAllister Towing and Transportation Co, owners of the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company. ESG has constructed more than a dozen vessels for long-time customer McAllister.
“The Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company is pleased to renew our long-standing relationship with Eastern Shipbuilding Group in building a new state-of-the-art vehicle and passenger ferry for service across Long Island Sound. The new build will join a fleet which includes two other vessels previously built by Eastern: the P.T. Barnum (1999) and the Grand Republic (2003). We look forward to the arrival of an exceptional high-quality vessel that will serve our customers, our crews and our company for many years to come,” said Fred Hall, Vice President and General Manager of Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company.
VESSEL SPECS:
Hull 228
Customer – Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company
Type – Auto & Passenger Ferry
Length – 302 ft
Delivery – 2024
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Photos from the event are located here.
About Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc.
Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) is an American owned and operated shipbuilder with three shipyards on the Florida Gulf Coast. They build world class vessels for national defense and commercial clients, including the U.S. Coast Guard’s Heritage Class Offshore Patrol Cutters. ESG is the largest private sector employer in Northwest Florida and is a 2017 recipient of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Small Business of the Year award. With a portfolio of over 350 vessels and Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) certified systems, ESG is known as one of the most diverse vessel construction companies in the country. www.easternshipbuilding.com
