Sagamore Ventures Release:
The City of Baltimore today announced that Harbor Boating, Inc. was successful in renewing its contract to provide Water Taxi services to residents and visitors. Sagamore Ventures, a division of Plank Industries, announced concurrently that it has acquired 100 percent of Harbor Boating and plans to build new, environmentally and operationally state-of-the-art boats in Baltimore City. Sagamore has also announced a plan to expand Water Taxi services, including the addition new stops in Port Covington and Cherry Hill. This will mark the first time that Cherry Hill and Westport will have direct public access and connectivity to the Inner Harbor.
“This is an exciting moment for public access to the waterways in Baltimore City,” said Tom Geddes, CEO of Plank Industries. “This new joint venture will employ roughly 150 people (100 previously and 150 with new boats/routes), 85 percent of whom are expected to be Baltimore City residents. The new connection to Cherry Hill and Westport is a game-changer for those communities and their ability to access opportunities in Port Covington and the Inner Harbor.”
Added Demian Costa, Managing Partner of Sagamore Ventures, “The combined power of Harbor Boats’ expertise and our vision for iconic and efficient new vessels, built right here in Baltimore City, is an unprecedented opportunity for the harbor as a means of transportation.”
The first new boat will be in service later this year, custom-built in Baltimore by MAPC, a maritime design and manufacturing company located near the South Baltimore neighborhood of Brooklyn that will hire 30 new welders and craftsmen thanks to this deal. The 55-foot ADA-compliant, bike-friendly vessel is modeled on the classic Chesapeake Bay deadrise boat, featuring an electric/hybrid diesel engine with 1/20th of the carbon footprint of the current fleet. The entire new fleet will feature technology including WiFi, onboard media, and GPS tracking in partnership with Uber. Sagamore also plans to build an on-demand Uber-enabled fleet of smaller boats in the near future.
“Sagamore Ventures is a dream partner for us,” said Michael McDaniel, president of Harbor Boats. “This is an incredible new chapter for the Baltimore Water Taxi.”
The new contract includes additional routes, extended commuter hours, and an increase in the number of stops from the current 12 to 21 beginning in the 2017 season.
The design is inspired by the classic Chesapeake Bay Deadrise workboat, with homage to the distinctive Hooper Island Draketail design at the stern. Photo credit: High Rock Studios
