By Erik Bascome | tbascome@siadvance.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The newest member of the Staten Island Ferry fleet is one step closer to making the iconic trip across the bay.

The first of three new ferryboats — the SSG Michael H. Ollis — was launched into the water in Panama City, Fla., Friday for the first time.

The Ollis boat is named after the late Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, a New Dorp native who died at age 24 while saving a Polish soldier in Afghanistan.

The new storm-resilient vessels, being built by Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc., will replace the John F. Kennedy, Andrew J. Barberi and the Samuel I. Newhouse boats, and will be more capable of operating in a wide range of weather conditions and locations.

The ships were modeled after the John F. Kennedy boat, popular for its outdoor promenades and extended foredecks.

The new ship, expected to be delivered to New York Harbor in August 2020, was previously scheduled to arrive in in fall 2019, with the vessel originally set to be commissioned and put in service in early 2020.

However, the Florida shipyard, operated by Eastern Shipbuilding, where the newest Staten Island Ferry vessels are under construction, was badly damaged by Hurricane Michael last October, delaying the arrival of the new boats.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has yet to provided information as to when the SSG Michael Ollis will be commissioned.

The second new boat, the Sandy Ground, was originally scheduled to arrive in the New York Harbor in summer 2020, with the third new boat, which remains nameless, initially scheduled to arrive in spring 2021. The DOT has not provided updated timelines for either ship.

Local Coverage of the Launch from Panama City, FL that was presided over by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis:
https://www.wjhg.com/content/news/Governor-Ron-DeSantis-participates-in-Eastern-Shipbuillding-Group-boat-launch-565006172.html.