Wikipedia

Fire Island Ferries

Fire Island Ferries is a passenger and freight ferry service, serving the Western communities of Fire Island, New York.[2]

Fire Island Ferries, Inc.
LocaleFire Island, New York
WaterwayGreat South Bay
Transit typePassenger, Freight & Water Taxi
OperatorFire Island Ferries, Inc.
Began operation1948 [1]
No. of lines8
HubsBay Shore, New York
WebsiteFire Island Ferries

History

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Edward J. Mooney, who joined the company in 1948, acquired Fire Island Ferries in 1972. After Mooney's death in December 2020, his casket was taken around Great South Bay for a memorial aboard one of the company's ferry boats.[3]

Zee Line Ferry Acquisition

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South Bay Water Taxi Acquisition

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Fire aboard the Fire Island Belle

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On September 20, 2009, at 10:10 eastern daylight time, the passenger ferry Fire Island Belle, with 100 passengers, the vessel master, and two deckhands on board, experienced an engine room fire in the Great South Bay between Long Island and Fire Island, New York. The vessel had departed Ocean Beach, Fire Island, 10 minutes earlier, and was approximately 300 yards (270 m) from the dock at Fair Harbor, Fire Island, when the fire broke out.

No passengers or crewmembers were injured, and no pollution resulted. The cost of repairing the vessel was $490,000. The U.S. Coast Guard was the lead investigative agency in the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) provided assistance with fire investigation and metallurgical analysis.

Destinations

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The Fire Islander — a passenger ferry owned by Fire Island Ferries, Inc — docking in Dunewood, NY.
The Vagabond — a freight ferry owned by Fire Island Ferries, Inc — docked in Fair Harbor, NY.
Nameplate aboard the Fire Island Belle passenger ferry


Fire Island Ferry Fleet

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Passenger Ferries

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Vessel Name Year built Shipbuilder Class
Fire Island Miss (alternates as freight) 1976 Blount Boats[4] Captain Patterson
Firebird (Engine swapped from Detroit v12 two strokes to John Deere inline 6, 4 strokes) 1983 Blount Boats[4] Firebird
Stranger 1985 Gulf Craft[5]
Voyager (Engine swapped from Detroit 12v to JD Engines) 1990 Gulf Craft[5] Firebird
Explorer (engine Swap from DD V12 to JD engine) 1991 Gulf Craft[5] Firebird
Fire Island Flyer 2001 Blount Boats[4] Flyer
Fire Island Belle (Engine Swap from series 60 to JD Engines) 2009 Blount Boats[4] Flyer
Fire Island Queen (Engine Swapped from Detroit series 60 to JD Engines) 2011 Gladding Hearn[6] Flyer
Fire Islander 2013 Blount Boats[4] Flyer
Isle of Fire 2019 Blount Boats[4] Flyer

Freight Ferries

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Vessel Name Year built Shipbuilder
Vagabond 1978 Blount Boats[7]
America 2002 Derecktor Shipyards[7]

Fire Island Water Taxi

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Fire Island Marine Services

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Fleet

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Fire Island Marine Services fleet (partial), with Fire Island Flyer (ferry) in background
Vessel Name Category Year built Shipbuilder
Albatross Pushboat
Cormorant Pushboat
Eagle Pushboat Miller Marine
Fire Island Maid Multi-purpose vehicle ferry (Ro-Pax) 2023 Metal Shark[8]
Gannet Pushboat
Pelican Pushboat
Osprey Barge
Osprey II Pushboat
Turtle Multi-purpose vehicle ferry (Ro-Pax) 2016 Miller Marine

[9]

References

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  1. ↑ "Fire Island Ferries (@FIFerries)".
  2. ↑ "FireIslandFerries.com".
  3. ↑ "Obituary: Captain Edwin J. Mooney Jr., owner of Fire Island Ferries", Greater Long Island, December 31, 2020. Accessed December 31, 2020. "Captain Edwin J. Mooney Jr., born in Teaneck, N.J., in 1929, started working for Fire Island Ferries as a deckhand after moving to Bay Shore in 1948. Twenty-four years later, in 1972, he would come to purchase the company, and proceed to grow it to Fire Island’s largest ferry provider."
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Boats, Blount (2019-06-10). "Blount Boats Delivers New Fire Island Ferry - Blount Boats - Warren RI". Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  5. 1 2 3 "Gulf Craft ~ Shipbuilding History". Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  6. ↑ "Passenger Vessels: Mono-Hull Ferries". Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  7. 1 2 "Ferries Over 100 GT Built in the U.S." shipbuildinghistory.com. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  8. ↑ Maritime, Baird (2023-05-18). "VESSEL REVIEW | Fire Island Maid – Compact vehicle ferry delivered to New York operator". Baird Maritime / Work Boat World. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  9. ↑ Hocke, Ken (2016-10-14). "Miller Marine to deliver New York ferry to Fire Island Ferries". www.workboat.com. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
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