''Yankee'' (also known as ''Machigonne'') is an early-20th-century

steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

hulled Husk (or hull) in botany is the outer shell or coating of a seed. In the United States, the term husk often refers to the leafy outer covering of an ear of maize (corn) as it grows on the plant. Literally, a husk or hull includes the protective ...

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

that is the last surviving

Ellis Island Ellis Island is an island in New York Harbor, within the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York (state), New York. Owned by the U.S. government, Ellis Island was once the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United State ...

ferry boat, making it one of the most historically significant ships in the United States. In 2006 it was moored in

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; ) is a City (New Jersey), city in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the ...

, in mid-2013 it was moved to the Henry Street pier in the Gowanus Bay Terminal in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and as of 2024 is in

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

. It is registered as a historic vessel with the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

, and is currently owned and inhabited by ceramic artist Victoria MacKenzie-Childs.

Operational history

Described as unusually luxurious for a day-voyaging vessel, ''Yankee'' was built in 1907 by the

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

n shipbuilding company

Neafie & Levy Neafie, Levy & Co., commonly known as Neafie & Levy, was a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania shipbuilding and engineering firm that existed from the middle of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century. Described as United States, America's "first spe ...

for the Casco Bay and Harpswell Line. There is some confusion about her original name, with some sources listing it as ''Dida''. It is unclear however, if the ship ever operated under that name, since she is commonly referred to as ''Machigonne'' from an early point in her career. ''Machigonne'' began her service life ferrying passengers between

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

and the Calendar Islands in

Casco Bay Casco Bay is an bay, open bay of the Gulf of Maine on the coast of Maine in the United States. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's chart for Casco Bay marks the dividing line between the bay and the Gulf of Maine as running from ...

. In 1913, she was sold to the Nahant Steamship Line of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, and used on the Boston, Nahant and Pines Island route.''Machigonne/Yankee''
National Register of Historic Places Registration, pp. 6–7. Following America's entry into

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, ''Machigonne'' was acquired by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

on 2 October 1917 under charter, and commissioned 15 May 1918 as USS ''Machigonne'' (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 and

Bumpkin Island __NOTOC__ Bumpkin Island, also known as Round Island, Bomkin Island, Bumkin Island, or Ward's Island, is an island in the Hingham Bay area of the Boston Harbor. Bumpkin Island is part of Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park. The islan ...

Training Station. After the end of hostilities, USS ''Machigonne'' 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 to

, and thenceforth to the mainland. These immigrants, many of whom were kept below decks on their

transatlantic Transatlantic, Trans-Atlantic or TransAtlantic may refer to: Film * Transatlantic Pictures, a film production company from 1948 to 1950 * Transatlantic Enterprises, an American production company in the late 1970s * ''Transatlantic'' (1931 film) ...

voyage, are said to have obtained their first views of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

from the decks of ''Machigonne''. In this period, the ship was also used to ferry tourists to the

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...

. In 1929, the ship was sold to a Captain Daniel F. McAllister, and renamed ''Hook Mountain''. For the next ten years she operated as a

tour boat Tour or Tours may refer to: Travel * Tourism, travel for pleasure * Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service * Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus * Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed b ...

, carrying passengers from

Battery Park The Battery, formerly known as Battery Park, is a public park located at the southern tip of Manhattan#Manhattan Island, Manhattan Island in New York City facing New York Harbor. The park is bounded by Battery Place on the north, with Bowling ...

Bedloe's Island Liberty Island is a federally owned island in Upper New York Bay in the northeastern United States. Its most notable feature is the Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''), a large statue by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi that was ...

and

Governors Island Governors Island is a island in New York Harbor, within the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located approximately south of Manhattan Island, and is separated from Brooklyn to the east by the Buttermilk ...

. ''Hook Mountain'' was sold to a

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

company in 1939, and renamed ''Block Island''. She also operated under the name ''League Island'' when requisitioned for World War II service. In 1947, the vessel had her original steam propulsion replaced with a 900 Hp GM diesel from a LST, was renamed ''Yankee'' and used to transport vacationers from

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in some religions * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

Block Island Block Island is an island of the Outer Lands coastal archipelago in New England, located approximately south of mainland Rhode Island and east of Long Island's Montauk Point. The island is coterminous with the town of New Shoreham, Rhode Isl ...

, a task that apparently continued for several decades. 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.

Restoration

In 1990, the by-now dilapidated ''Yankee'' was bought by a private citizen, Jim Gallagher, who towed it to Pier 25,

Tribeca Tribeca ( ), originally written as TriBeCa, is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City. Its name is a syllabic abbreviation of "Triangle Below Canal Street". The "triangle" (more accurately a quadrilateral) is bounded by Canal Str ...

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, 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. ''Note:'' This includes and In 2003, Gallagher sold the boat to new owners who pledged to continue with the restoration work. In 2006 the boat was moved to

while the local council carried out an upgrade to Pier 25. Although operational, the boat is apparently not used for actual voyages since it lacks a seaworthiness certificate. ''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 tugboat ''Jupiter''. A third vessel, the tugboat '' Tuff-E-Nuff'' (originally the ''Thomas Cunningham Sr.''), built in 1895, was remarkably still in commercial service in its original role as of May 2007. ''In 2003 Yankee'' was bought by New York ceramic artists Victoria MacKenzie-Childs and her husband Richard MacKenzie-Childs, who turned it into their floating home and studio, and moved it to a dock in

Red Hook, Brooklyn Red Hook is a neighborhood in western Brooklyn, New York City, United States, within the area once known as South Brooklyn. It is located on a peninsula projecting into the Upper New York Bay and is bounded by the Gowanus Expressway and the Ca ...

in 2013. As of 2024 the couple still inhabits the ferry, which is moored in

. 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."MacKenzie-Childs Yankee Ferry
/ref>

Footnotes and references

External links

Video tour of the ''Yankee''

at Navsource.org

at Naval Historical Center * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yankee (Ferry) Ferries of Maine Ferries of Massachusetts Ferries of New York City Ferries of Rhode Island Ships built by Neafie and Levy World War I auxiliary ships of the United States Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan 1907 ships Transportation in Boston Hoboken, New Jersey National Register of Historic Places in Hudson County, New Jersey Museum ships in New York City