The Cape May-Lewes Ferry Could See Smaller Vessels
Back in March 2021, we announced on the Wildwood Video Archive that the Cape May-Lewes Ferry could be seeing new ships added to their fleet.
At that time we learned that the DRBA, Delaware River, and Bay Authority, were putting together a team to help design a concept for a new vessel for the Cape May-Lewes Ferry.
The Naval Architecture/Marine Engineering firm, Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), was not only hired to help design the vessel but also come up with more ways for the DRBA to be more efficient.
Currently, the DRBA has three ships that make the 17-mile trip; the M/V Cape Henlopen,
the M/V Delaware, and the M/V New Jersey. These ships carry up to 100 vehicles and 800 passengers and have been making this trip for roughly 40 years.
As the DRBA moves on in their plan for new ships they want public comment on the matter.
The Cape May-Lewes Ferry Could See Smaller Vessels
According to an article first posted by wdel.com, there are three options the DRBA is considering.
All of these options involve replacing the ships but the options differ in the size of the vessel or the quantity.
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Option 1 – Three Optimized 100-car ferries with a passenger capacity of 440 at the price of $345 million.
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Option 2 – Four 75-car ferries with a passenger capacity of 330 at the price of $304 million.
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Option 3 – Five 55-car ferries with a passenger capacity of 240 at the price of $225 million.