Newest 'luxury' commuter ferry to begin Jersey Shore service Sept. 1

The Betsy Ross will join its sister ship, NY Waterway's Molly Pitcher, on a route between the New York Harbor region and the Jersey Shore

WEEHAWKEN - Commuters will get free sewing kits to celebrate the maiden commercial voyage of the Betsy Ross, the region's newest "luxury" ferry, which will begin service on Sept. 1 between the Jersey Shore and the New York Harbor region, its operator announced Wednesday.

The Betsy Ross, named for the Revolutionary War heroine famous for stitching together the first American flag, is the sister ship of the Molly Pitcher, another female figure of the Revolution, already in service on the same route. 

The Betsy Ross will operate on weekdays between the Belford/Middletown Ferry Terminal and stops father north, including Wall Street and the World Financial Center in lower Manhattan, West 39th Street farther uptown, and Paulus Hook in Jersey City, said the operator, NY Waterway, the Weehawken-based company that provides ferry service throughout the region.

NY Waterway, a company initially focused on trans-Hudson ferry routes between Manhattan and Hudson County, competes in the Jersey Shore commuter market with Seastreak, which operates similar high-speed service between Monmouth County and New York's financial district.

The Betsy Ross and Molly Pitcher, built by Yank Marine in Cape May County, are the first ferries built entirely in New Jersey in more than a century, New York Waterway has said.

Both of the 400-seat commuter craft feature what New York Waterway says is more leg room than a first-class airline seat, with wood grain interiors and art deco styling and fixtures, carpeting in the passenger salons, ceramic bathroom tiles, wi-fi and flat-screen televisions.

"We want to show our commitment to our loyal Monmouth and Ocean County customers, and to our partners in government, by providing the highest quality commuting experience available in the Metropolitan Area," NY Waterway President & Founder Arthur E. Imperatore said in a statement.  "These two great ladies, the Betsy Ross and the Molly Pitcher, are a demonstration that our commitment remains stronger than ever after 14 years."

Imperatore said the Betsy Ross will help meet an 18-percent increase in passenger volume on the Monmouth route during the first half of this year. 
 

The Betsy Ross and the Molly Pitcher depart Belford/Middletown weekdays from
5:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., with return trips leaving Manhattan between 1:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. 

For more information, call 1-800-53-FERRY or visit www.nywaterway.com, or visit NY Waterway's Facebook and Twitter pages.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.