Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Sep 19

Davidson, Jost Debut 277-Foot Comedy Ferry for 300 Guests After $280,000 Staten Island Purchase

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Sep 19

Davidson, Jost Debut 277-Foot Comedy Ferry for 300 Guests After $280,000 Staten Island Purchase

Q: How much did the hidden docking and renovation fees actually cost the comedians behind their supposed ferry bargain?

The ferry did not stay a $280,000 bargain for long. Reports indicate the comedians and their partners were paying **tens of thousands of dollars per month in docking fees alone**, and the broader redevelopment vision was estimated at **about $34 million**. That means the hidden costs were far beyond the auction price. The purchase itself was roughly **$280,100**, but ongoing berthing, towing, permitting, and renovation-related expenses quickly became the real financial burden. Public reporting in the additional material does not give a single verified total actually spent to date, but it makes clear that the monthly docking charges were substantial and that the full build-out plan carried a multimillion-dollar price tag. In short, the “bargain” was only the initial sale price. The real cost came from **recurring docking bills in the tens of thousands each month** and an ambitious conversion plan pegged at **around $34 million**, which helps explain why Jost and Davidson later joked that the ferry had become a costly lifelong problem.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 19

More than 300 ticket holders boarded the rechristened “Snapple Island Ferry” at Pier 17 on Thursday for Pete Davidson and Colin Jost’s first dockside comedy show on the vessel.
Davidson and Jost opened with a loose seven-minute set before New York comedians including Ronny Chieng and Jay Jurden performed, turning the 277-foot, 2,100-ton ferry into a one-night venue.
The show capped a four-and-a-half-year effort after the former “Saturday Night Live” castmates joined investors to buy the decommissioned Staten Island Ferry for about $280,000 in a 2022 auction.
For both Staten Island natives, the launch also played on a personal link to the ferry line, a longtime local fixture that has carried commuters and tourists between Manhattan and Staten Island since 1905.