New ferry joins fleet

KELLEYS ISLAND — A ferry service had its newest vessel blessed in a ceremony on Tuesday. The Kelleys Island Ferry Boat Line officially welcomed its newest ship: the Carmen Lee. The double-ended ferry arrived at the ferry line's Lakeside-Marblehead terminal just after 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Dignitaries, clergy and media then boarded and crossed Lake Erie to Kelleys Island. More than 100 people waiting at the island terminal welcomed the Carmen Lee with a round of applause. Everyone was invited to come aboard and view the finished ship. Then the vessel was blessed by the Rev. Virginia Parks of Zion Community Church and Deacon Jim O'Donnell of St. Michael's Church. The ship is named for Carmen Lee Palladino who died in 2019. One of the ferry line's other ships, the Kayla Marie, is named after Palladino's granddaughter, Kayla Soinski. After the blessing, Tom "Teach" Broadhurst fired a one-gun salute with a small cannon. August "Augie" Palladino then smashed a bottle of champagne on the ship's bow. He is Carmen Lee Palladino's son and the owner of Kelleys Island Ferry Boat Line. "It felt pretty amazing," he said after the blessing. "We have been working ten years to get to this point. Shipbuilding The Carmen Lee was designed by TAI Engineers, a New Orleans-based company that specializes in naval architecture and marine engineering. The vessel's design was based upon another Kelleys Island ferry, the Shirley Irene, which has been in service for more than 31 years. After the design was approved, the vessel was constructed by Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors, LLC, based in Houma, Louisiana. The ferry then made its journey from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Erie. The ferry's construction is a partnership between the ferry line and the Lorain Port Authority. Specifications The motor vessel Carmen Lee is a 168-foot double-ended ferry. Vehicles can board the boat from one end and exit by the opposite end. The beam, or widest part of the hull, measures 45 feet. The ferry has four azimuth thrusters that allow precise steering. The thrusters can rotate while in operation, making a rudder unnecessary for changing the ship's heading. Each of its four Caterpillar C-18 engines produces 470 brake horsepower at 1,800 RPM, according to the online ship reference Marine Log. The Carmen Lee can carry 149 passengers and 36 vehicles. The ferry will service the Lakeside-Marblehead to Kelleys Island route starting during Memorial Day weekend.