A Merrell Class vessel Verrazzano that connected the borough of Staten Island to Manhattan sits in a scrap metal yard on the western shore of Staten Island. Retired several years ago, this boat has been stripped down to its metal frame. Cold and eerie, the boat's decks are badly deteriorated from neglect and by the elements.
The Staten Island Ferry operated sidewheel and propeller-driven steamboats from the beginning of steam navigation until 1982 when the diesel ferryboats Andrew J. Baraberi and Samuel I Newhouse replaced the last trio of steamboats.
The three steamboats, completed in 1950 and 1951 at Bethlehem Steel Company’s Staten Island yard, were named Pvt. Joseph F. Merrell, Cornelius G. Kolff and Verrazzano, the last-named an unusual spelling, with a double ‘z’ for the Florentine navigator explorer Giovanni de Verrazano.
The trio shared a length of 269 feet, gross tonnage of 2,285, capacity for 2954 passengers and a vehicle deck for cars, vans and small trucks.
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Boarding these vessels is extremely dangerous and unlawful. It is recommended that you permission first due the high risk of injury and possible arrest.
The City will retire three vessels in 2019 to 2020. I do not believe that any retired vessels are still in one piece.
I want some information on how to purchase an old Staten Island ferry abandon boat, the main purpose is to restore it and conver it into a sightseen boat and a private party section down here in the Dominican republic. Anyone with Information Please contact me at 1(829)455-7472, My name is Mr. Santiago Coste, any time after 6:00 p.m., Thank You so very much.
Should contact http://www.donjonrecycling.com/
This is actually the VERRAZZANO of the MERRELL class, built 1951. She was the last Staten Island Ferry to be built on Staten Island. She was also the last steam boat for the Staten Island Ferry.
You can tell the difference quickly in two ways. First, the front of the pilot houses on the MERRELL class boats is square while the KENNEDY class is round. Second, on the saloon deck, the outside area on the MERRELL class cuts back in a manner similar to the former two-deck boats (i.e. it starts to go around the sides of the boat) but on the KENNEDY class, the outside area is straight across the boat.
Chip
Thanks Chip
The pictures above are not of a Kennedy Class vessel. They are in fact of the Merrell Class vessel Verrazzano. After she was sold in the mid 80’s she was tied up at the old ferry maintenance facility (Pier 7 Stapelton) until it was destroyed by fire and then moved to the old Coast Guard base closer to the ferry terminal. It then moved from place to place from Red Hook to Bayonne until she was broken.
Thanks John Whyte