New York ferry captains are brushing up their skills Saturday with a training program at a local college.
As part of a collaboration between New York City Ferry, operated by Hornblower and SUNY Maritime, captains and crews now have access to the oldest merchant marine academy in the country.
Ferry captains and crews will get to try the college's "360 Degree, Full-Mission Bridge Simulator." Use of the simulator will become a mandatory requirement for current and future captains.
The simulator creates scenarios that captains may not see often in the New York Harbor, like hurricane weather.
"We want our captains to be trained in every situation possible so it gives them the edge on other captains," says Dennis Robesch, the NYC ferry safety and training manager.
Hornblower expects to fill 200 positions from captains to deckhands.
The first of the ferry routes will be on Monday, May 1 and will go from Rockaway to Pier 11 by Wall Street.