Propulsion
In 1976 the Statue Boats started repowering with Cummins KTA 1150 500 hp, turbo diesel engines. The Miss Liberty and the Miss Gateway (Blount hull #241) were the first two. These boats received some of the first production engines of this new series. Steve and Cummins Diesel worked closely together to achieve the best engine performance while getting the maximum amount of operating hours between rebuilds.

Steve has been very pleased with the engines. The GM engines where consuming about 240 gallons a day per engine, or about 24 gph. The new four cycle Cummins use about one half the fuel. After seven 10 hour days, the 7,000 gallon fuel tank of the Miss Liberty is only down only about 1,000 gallons.

As these Cummins engines evolved into higher hp engines, Steve did his own upgrades, installing new style fuel pumps, injectors, and turbo’s. Automatic fuel control systems greatly reduced the exhaust smoke. As Steve explained " the operator in the wheelhouse can lay on the throttle as hard as he wants the engine will not inject fuel into the combustion chamber until there is the proper amount of air- there might be a very short burst of smoke, but nothing like the engines of the past…If an engine isn’t working hard, the turbo isn’t working, the engine is not getting the air that is required, so the harder you work the motor the cleaner it will run.

During the first few years of operating the Cummins, when Steve would find a unique problem, Cummins would often fly an engineer in from Indiana. They would often look over what Steve had done, and his info. would occasionally be printed into the next service manual. Steve does lube oil analysis and exhaust analysis on a regular basis. He stays on top of future problems by rebuilding the engine before warning signs such as certain metal deposits show up in the oil. They calculate the amount of fuel the engine has used and the hours operated. If an engine will reach its recommended rebuild hours during the middle of the busy season, then they try to rebuild it beforehand. These engines have worked out well, they are very economical and are very easy to overhaul. Steve has had great support from both Cummins locally in Newark and from the home office.

Repeat Business
Steve has overseen the construction of three Statue Boats at Blount’s shipyard. The first, the Miss Freedom (hull #207) built in 1976, and the most recent, the Miss New York (hull #290) built in 1993. Steve states "Luther is a very innovative guy…a very fair guy…Blount tries to get the usual extras, that the average work boat needs, done under the basic quoted price. Luther insures that you get a good boat. The ship fitters, the machinists, all the staff are dedicated high quality workers, they take a lot of pride in the in the boats they build."

The Circle Line Statue of Liberty ferries depart the battery of Manhattan Island and Liberty State Park, Jersey City N.J., every morning 364 days a year. Christmas day there is no service. The maintenance program on this fleet of seven boats is excellent. I recently took a ride on the Miss Liberty just after returning to service from four days in drydock. Steve’s son Capt. Tommy was running her and gave me a detailed tour and filled me in. The engine room was immaculate as was the rest of the boat. With the exception of the engines, most of the hardware is original, including the old electrical knife switches that faded out in the early seventies.

This is Tommy’s favorite boat, he treats her well, but like any boatman running a passenger ferry on a busy route and tight schedule, his dockings were quick and efficient. Upon my request he twin screwed her hard as he twisted her off the dock at the Statue. I stood out on the upper deck to listen and feel how smooth the boat was when being worked hard. The stern shook a little, but mostly from cavitation, not from bearing or shaft problems. She was very smooth and quite, especially for a boat in daily service for almost five decades, which according to my calculations has done well over 400,000 dockings.

Once underway and outbound the narrow Liberty Island channel, the Miss liberty heads east towards Manhattan. The boat takes on a noticeable port list as a good portion of the 500 or so passengers line the scenic side of the boat to get their last close view of the Statue. Vessel traffic is fairly dense as pleasure and dinner boats make their slow, close pass by the Statue. We pass the newest Statue Boat the Miss New York bound for the Statue with her three decks filled, and then take the stern of the smaller two deck Miss Freedom bound for Ellis Island. The Miss Liberty has served well through Steve’s career. With the dedication and competency of the maintenance staff and boatman that serve on her, the Miss Liberty will most likely serve throughout Tommy’s career, well into the 21st century.