So much for “the latest in 21st century maritime technology.”
Much like his failed liberal policies, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “beloved” ferries are struggling to stay afloat.
Five new ferries in the Democrat mayor’s fleet “have been pulled out of service to fix potentially disastrous leaks,” The New York Post reported. Three of the boats are still sitting in dry dock.
The catamaran-style ferries cost $4 million each, but were taken out of service with little fanfare less than six months after de Blasio took a ceremonial first ride on the NYC Ferry service, according to The Post.
The maritime-commuter program cost taxpayers $325 million and the city promised the boats would be built “with the latest in 21st century maritime technology and best design practices.”
Sources told the paper that corrosion was causing the 3/16-inch aluminum hulls to leak, resulting in metal patches being welded on.
“There are holes the size of a pencil inside, below the water line,” one source said. “In theory, you can lose one compartment, but if you get a hole punched the size of your fist in one compartment, with the water pressure, it can implode and the compartment can sink quick.”
The source noted that “it can list to one side and increase water pressure on the other compartment and cause this to become catastrophic quickly.”
The New York City Economic Development Corporation, which funds the ferries, sees things differently.
Bret Baier had dinner at Mar-a-Lago on Thanksgiving weekend, one picture has the left in a meltdown
NYC Ferry is taking advantage of the offseason to make repairs – with zero impact on service. 3 boats are currently having "keel coolers" adjusted. They were misaligned, and over time would have damaged the hulls. We caught it early, and it's being fixed at no cost to the City. pic.twitter.com/vmQW8U4mD5
— NYCEDC (@NYCEDC) November 27, 2017
Workers confirmed a problem with leaks, but Anthony Hogrebe, senior vice president at the NYCEDC, downplayed the problem, the newspaper reported.
“This is a minor issue affecting three boats,” Hogrebe said. “It hasn’t impacted service and it won’t cost the city a penny to fix.”
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
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