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Incat Crowther has announced the design of a new fleet of fuel-efficient vessels for Hornblower, the selected operator of New York's new city-wide ferry service.

Hornblower is a provider hospitality and maritime services, offering commuter ferries, dining cruises and sightseeing products across North America.

In an ambitious undertaking announced by mayor Bill de Blasio, New York will create a network of ferries serving the entire city by the end of 2018 with a focus on areas that are currently underserved by transit. The new service includes longer runs to the Rockaways in 2017 along with South Brooklyn and Astoria. Service to the Lower East Side in Manhattan and Soundview in the Bronx begins in 2018.

Incat Crowther is already delivering production engineering to satisfy build schedules at various shipyards, with at least a dozen vessels scheduled to be delivered in 2017.

Grant Pecoraro, General Manager of Incat Crowther's North America office remarked: "Incat Crowther is proud to be involved in such a significant project in one of the busiest cities in the world. We look forward to solidifying our position as a world leader for vessel designs in this type of operation."

"Incat Crowther was selected because of their specialization and vast experience in naval architecture and design of efficient passenger ferries," noted Junior Volpe, Director of Special Projects for Hornblower.

The ferry design has been developed in close co-operation with Hornblower, leveraging Incat Crowther's experience and expertise in the U.S. ferry industry to satisfy challenging operational and regulatory requirements. Key attributes are said to include "high fuel efficiency and low emissions" in addition to the robustness to reliably service a high frequency commuter operation, estimated to service 4.6 million passenger trips per year once the service reaches its full potential.

The 150-passenger vessels will have spacious interiors, with ADA access, wide aisles, a concession stand and Wi-Fi.

The vessels have been designed form the backbone of a modern, comfortable and efficient urban ferry fleet that will be New York's first city-wide ferry system in over 100 years.