(HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.) — Newmar is supplying new-technology battery chargers for a new fleet of passenger ferries that will commence service this month in New York City.
The 85-foot aluminum catamaran vessels were designed by Incat Crowther and are being built at two Gulf Coast shipyards, Horizon Shipbuilding and Metal Shark, for Citywide Ferry by Hornblower, which will operate the ferry network for New York City.
Newmar’s ABS-approved PTMS series modular chargers were specified for each of the vessels.
“The modular design of the 24-volt PTMS charger provides a significant improvement in system reliability,” said Brian Giannini, Newmar’s national sales manager. “The charger has three independent charger modules, outputting a total of 67 amps and providing built-in redundancy for uninterrupted service. If one module fails, the other two will continue to provide a charge to the batteries."
“The modular charger units save time and money in maintenance and repairs,” he added. “A module can be removed quickly from the front panel and replaced by a new module in minutes by any crew person without special technical training, eliminating the need to disconnect, remove, repair and reconnect the entire charger.”
Giannini noted that Newmar and Hornblower have worked together on many projects through the years, and Newmar’s track record of supplying reliable products with ABS approval, backed by factory service, was a leading factor in winning this program.
The first of the New York City Ferry vessels have been delivered and the first three routes are being inaugurated in June. The full network will be operational in 2018 and is expected to carry 4.6 million passengers per year from 21 landing sites.
