Governors Island is steadily becoming one of the most popular family outing destinations in New York City, thanks to all that it has to offer: walking and biking trails, art installations, music festivals, playgrounds, breathtaking views and so much more. But for us at Longo, the biggest thrill lies in the complex, yet utterly fascinating, inner workings of the island’s most infamous mode of transportation: the Lt. Samuel S. Coursen Ferry.

The 860-ton ferry has been in regular use since 1956 and started out as a newspaper and vehicle ferry. Today, it shuttles thousands of visitors to and from the island every weekend during the summer months. It has a capacity of more than 1,200 passengers and can even transport up to 50 vehicles at a time.

Earlier this year, the vessel was in need of some major maintenance, and HMS Global Maritime – the marine operations company that manages the ferry – enlisted Longo to perform those repairs.

Our technicians were called upon to assist in the removal, installation and alignment of two of the ferry’s generators and DC motors. First, we checked the alignment onboard the vessel. From there, we oversaw the removal of the motors and generators and then transported them to our service center, where we repaired and rebuilt the units. Once we got them back in working order, we transported them back to the boat and supervised their re-installation. We re-checked and corrected the alignments after installation and then tested and cleaned the units as part of the final, at-sea assessment phase.

HMS Global chose Longo because of our technicians’ extensive skills and experience in the maritime arena. We also possess the required safety training, certifications and insurance to work on all types of ocean vessels.