If you’re looking for a new project boat, a very big project boat, consider the Andrew J. Barberi, a 310-foot-long decommissioned Staten Island ferry. It is now being auctioned by the City of New York with a starting price of $155,000.
In today’s market, it’s hard to find a small pocket cruiser for sale for $155,000, so the Andrew J. Barberi may seem a bargain. After all, it holds 6,000 passengers, so you’d certainly have enough room to take all your friends. Think of the raft-up possibilities. And the last Staten Island ferry that was auctioned, the John F. Kennedy, went for a final price of $280,000 two years ago.
The hull is said to be in good condition. But the Andrew J. Barberi has some problems. It’s being auctioned in “as-is, where-is” condition. The mechanical, propulsion and navigation systems have been removed. The auction notice says simply that “the vessel does not run under its own power and will need to be towed from the pier.” And the successful bidder has to tow it away within 20 days of the close of the auction or pay $1,000 a day in docking fees.
You’ll need a big dock. The ferry has a beam of 70’, a draft of 20’ 8”, a displacement of 3,335 gross tons, and an air draft of 63′.
The Andrew J. Barberi was delivered in 1981, and ran from the Battery at the tip of Manhattan to Staten Island and back for decades. It does come with some history. In 2003 it hit a pier due to pilot error, killing 11 people. And in 2010 it lost propulsion while docking and hit the terminal, injuring 37 passengers.
If you’re interested, you can see the exterior of the Andrew J. Barberi at its berth at St. George, Staten Island, and pictures of the interior at the auction site below. The auction closes on May 27.
Read more at https://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/auction/view?auc=3514658
