GC ships at center of NYC election

It's not often that a small-town on Alabama’s Gulf Coast finds itself at the center of the New York City mayoral election. But, Horizon Shipbuilders, a family business in Bayou La Batre, is in a race against time to finish building a fleet of ferries destined for the Big Apple’s waterways just ahead of the November election. The $325 million commuter service, which includes 19 total ferries, was first promised by current Mayor Bill DeBlasio in 2016; and is slated for partial service this summer, if deadlines can be met. The ferries are expected to make 4.6 million annual trips, according to NYC's Economic Development Corporation, and will be one of the last major projects to be completed before the polls open. DeBlasio's promise weighs heavy on Horizon and Jeanerette, La., shipbuilder, Metal Sharks. Horizon is set to build 13 ferries overall. Metal Shark is providing six more. Each ferry costs about $4 million. Horizon has 11 in various stages of building. The first two of Metal Shark ferries were first put in the water on Feb. 24, according to Josh Stickles, VP of marketing. All six of the MS ferries are reported to be well ahead of schedule. The first Horizon-built ferry is on its way to NYC - sailing up Florida's Atlantic coast as of March 28. The journey 1,000-mile journey will eventually take up to two weeks. Two more ferries will make the same journey starting in April. (Source: AL.com 03/29/17)