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Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. has signed a contract
commissioning work on two passenger ferries that will operate the St. Thomas-St. John route.
Midship Marine, Inc., a Louisiana-based company, will build the 85-foot aluminum catamarans over the next year and a half. The vessels will replace the aging fleet that now shuttles passengers between the islands.
“The two new vessels we are purchasing will greatly improve the speed, service, reliability and capacity of the ferry service that so many Virgin Islanders and tourists depend on every day,” de Jongh said.
“The ferry experience will be better than it ever has been, once these catamarans go into operation, improving daily life for many St. John residents who commute to St. Thomas, and enhancing the vacations of thousands of tourists who travel between the islands each week,” de Jongh said.
The two vessels will be owned by the Virgin Islands government, and will be leased to the companies that currently hold ferry-operator franchises.
The $7.6 million cost for the vessels is federally funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
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