 Yankee as SSMachigonne, date unknown | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Yankee |
| Owner | Private ownership |
| Builder | Neafie & Levy |
| Yard number | 1004 |
| Christened | Dida |
| Completed | 1907 |
| Commissioned | (Into the US Navy): 15 May 1918 |
| Decommissioned | 1919? |
| In service |
|
| Renamed | Machigonne,Hook Mountain,Block Island,League Island,Yankee |
| Reclassified | SP-1043 (Navy service) |
| Status | Operational but not in service |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Ferry |
| Tonnage | 489 gross, 289 net |
| Length | 136 ft 6 in |
| Beam | 29 ft |
| Draft | 8 ft |
| Depth of hold | 9 ft 6 in |
| Installed power | 450 horsepower (original) |
| Propulsion | Triple expansionsteam engine; replaced 1947 byGeneral MotorsV12diesel |
| Speed | 12 knots |
| Armament | 2 × 1 pdrs (Navy service) |
Machigonne | |
 | |
| Location | Hudson River,Hoboken,New Jersey |
| NRHP reference No. | 92001610[1] |
| Added to NRHP | 3 December 1992[2] |
Yankee (also known asMachigonne)[3] is an early-20th-centurysteelhulledferry that is the last survivingEllis Island ferry boat, making it one of the most historically significant ships in the United States.[4] In 2006 it was moored inHoboken, New Jersey, in mid-2013 it was moved to the Henry Street pier in theGowanus Bay Terminal in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and as of 2024 is inStaten Island.[5] It is registered as a historic vessel with theNational Register of Historic Places, and is currently owned and inhabited by ceramic artistVictoria MacKenzie-Childs.
Described as unusually luxurious for a day-voyaging vessel,[6]Yankee was built in 1907 by thePhiladelphian shipbuilding companyNeafie & Levy for the Casco Bay and Harpswell Line.[7] There is some confusion about her original name, with some sources listing it asDida.[7] It is unclear however, if the ship ever operated under that name, since she is commonly referred to asMachigonne from an early point in her career.
Machigonne began her service life ferrying passengers betweenPortland, Maine and theCalendar Islands inCasco Bay. In 1913, she was sold to the Nahant Steamship Line ofBoston,Massachusetts, and used on the Boston, Nahant and Pines Island route.[8]
Following America's entry intoWorld War I,Machigonne was acquired by theUnited States Navy on 2 October 1917 under charter, and commissioned 15 May 1918 asUSSMachigonne (SP-1043). During the war, the ship was armed with two one-pounder guns for defense, and used to transport men and supplies between Boston andBumpkin Island Training Station.[7]
After the end of hostilities, USSMachigonne was decommissioned and resumed commercial service. In 1921, the ship was purchased by John E. Moore and transferred to New York Harbor. For the next eight years,Machigonne was used to ferry newly arriving immigrants from their incoming ships toEllis Island, and thenceforth to the mainland.[8] These immigrants, many of whom were kept below decks on theirtransatlantic voyage, are said to have obtained their first views ofNew York City from the decks ofMachigonne. In this period, the ship was also used to ferry tourists to theStatue of Liberty.[6]
In 1929, the ship was sold to a Captain Daniel F. McAllister, and renamedHook Mountain. For the next ten years she operated as atour boat, carrying passengers fromBattery Park toBedloe's Island andGovernors Island.[8]Hook Mountain was sold to aRhode Island company in 1939, and renamedBlock Island.[7][8] She also operated under the nameLeague Island when requisitioned for World War II service.[9] In 1947, the vessel had her original steam propulsion replaced with a 900 Hp GM diesel from a LST, was renamedYankee and used to transport vacationers fromProvidence toBlock Island, a task that apparently continued for several decades.[10] The vessel was finally retired from commercial service after the 1983 summer season which included a charter to the America's Cup Races off of Newport, RI. It was then laid up in Montville, CT for several years. It was later towed to Providence, RI and docked very close to where she used to depart from for Block Island service and was neglected and became a target for vandals.[6]
In 1990, the by-now dilapidatedYankee was bought by a private citizen, Jim Gallagher, who towed it to Pier 25,Tribeca,Manhattan, where he began working on its restoration. In an unusual arrangement, Gallagher was permitted by the local authorities to live on the boat in order to continue with his work. To help pay for the job, Gallagher rented the boat out to weddings and parties. The vessel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.[2][11]
In 2003, Gallagher sold the boat to new owners who pledged to continue with the restoration work.[6] In 2006 the boat was moved toHoboken, New Jersey while the local council carried out an upgrade to Pier 25.[12] Although operational, the boat is apparently not used for actual voyages since it lacks a seaworthiness certificate.[6]
Yankee is one of several vessels built by Neafie & Levy to be either still operational or operating until very recently. Another Neafie & Levy vessel that is still operational is the tugboatJupiter. A third vessel, the tugboatTuff-E-Nuff (originally theThomas Cunningham Sr.), built in 1895, was remarkably still in commercial service in its original role as of May 2007.[13]
In 2003 Yankee was bought by New York ceramic artistsVictoria MacKenzie-Childs and her husband Richard MacKenzie-Childs, who turned it into their floating home and studio, and moved it to a dock inRed Hook, Brooklyn in 2013. As of 2024 the couple still inhabits the ferry, which is moored inStaten Island. While interior repair and restoration work is ongoing, the ship is in need of drydock space/funding to have its hull inspected, repaired, and deemed seaworthy again.
In 2018, while in drydock in Staten Island after further hull work, the Yankee was listed for sale by Franklin-Ruttan: "The oldest existing Ellis Island Ferry. Built in 1907, acquired by Victoria & Richard Mackenzie-Childs in 2003 and renovated with their creative touch. 150 foot historic vessel listed on National Register of historic places. Currently configured as residence with 11 bedrooms. Potential as public exhibit, Event Venue / Restaurant. "Either afloat upon the waters, OR mounted upon the land, or cresting a building like an elegant. Crown! A most intriguing vista from without and from within. Ship has undergone hull restoration in 2017. $2.37M."[14]
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