Boat built in Bay County to become the new Staten Island ferry

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - The Sandy Ground departed from the Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. in Port St. Joe on Thursday and is headed to New York City.

The vessel will be towed around central Florida and up the east coast. The trip will take approximately 14 days.

The Sandy Ground ferry was built in Bay County, by Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc, to be the... — The Sandy Ground ferry was built in Bay County, by Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc, to be the new Staten Island Ferry.(Eastern Shipbuilding Company)

The Sandy Ground is the latest Staten Island ferry to be built by Eastern Shipbuilding. It is scheduled to begin transporting passengers in 2022.

The Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. said these new ferries are larger, reflect modern technology, and will operate more safely in extreme weather conditions.

In early August, the first Staten Island ferry built by Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc., the SSG Michael H. Ollis, was completed and set sail for New York Harbor.