One of the Cape May-Lewes ferry’s three vessels is back home.
The MV New Jersey was out of commission until last week, undergoing a comprehensive overhaul and repowering at Caddell’s Drydock and Repair Company in Staten Island, New York.
“The MV New Jersey had new EMD (Electro-Motive Division), which are electric diesel engines, installed that will reduce emissions by 40%," said Delaware River and Bay Authority public information officer for Jim Salmon.
Salmon says the engine upgrade is also expected to save an estimated $130,000 per year in maintenance costs associated with the old engines that were nearly 50-years-old.
He adds that the ship also had new reduction gears and generators installed while its exterior underwent water blasting was completely repainted
Steel bulkheads were also replaced, along with exterior windows. The passenger gallery area was also modernized, the underwater hull sandblasted and painted and new smokestacks fabricated.
The total cost of the project was about $20 million, with about $3 million of that coming from the Federal Transit Administration.
Salmon says the MV New Jersey's return means the ferry is back to full strength.
“Now we have three vessels on the run and we’re able to handle more traffic," said Salmon. "Our vessel traffic this summer... we were sold out on a lot of trips. So we were running pretty much at capacity. And this will add capacity to our operation."
