SEA CHANGE II Illustration © Incat Crowther

Incat Crowther details SWITCH-150 hydrogen ferry after US Coast Guard agreement

High-speedIncat Crowther and Switch Maritime have secured a Design Basis Agreement (DBA) with the US Coast Guard for SWITCH-150, a 150-passenger hydrogen fuel cell-electric fast ferry designed by Incat Crowther. The agreement gives the partners and the Coast Guard a defined framework for the ship's construction, commissioning and operation. Incat Crowther will now take the design through detailed development and into a complete digital shipbuilding package ready for construction.

The 28-metre ferry is designed for a cruising speed of 25 knots and will carry 720 kilograms of compressed hydrogen, enough for a full day of operation on New York ferry routes. She will need only mobile hydrogen refuelling equipment and no shore charging infrastructure, which Incat Crowther says allows daily bunkering without longer port stays. The main deck will have seats for 150 passengers, luggage storage, a kiosk and three toilets.

The Coast Guard's Subchapter T rules for small passenger vessels contain no provisions for hydrogen fuel cell propulsion or hydrogen storage, so Switch, Incat Crowther and the project team worked with the Coast Guard to demonstrate equivalent safety. The IMO's Interim Guidelines for the Safety of Ships Using Hydrogen as Fuel, approved in May 2026, served as a basis for the process.

The first SWITCH-150 is intended to operate in New York City from the Brooklyn Navy Yard and is supported by a USD 2 million grant from NYSERDA. No yard or delivery date has been announced. Switch's first ship, SEA CHANGE, also designed by Incat Crowther, received its DBA in 2020 and entered passenger service in July 2024 as the first hydrogen fuel cell-electric ferry in the United States.

nov 09 2026