Colin Jost and Pete Davidson are best known as standout Saturday Night Live comedians, but in the past few years, their reputations have been just as closely linked to another New York institution: their Staten Island Ferry. They purchased the retired boat at auction in 2022, spending an initial $280,100 on the giant ferry, which they adoringly named the Titanic 2. While their plans to turn the vessel into a floating event space have slowly started to come together, the project could be a financial drain for the two Staten Island natives as well as the butt of many jokes on SNL. Now, a state representative is offering a solution to put an immediate end to the celebrity owners’ hardship: sink it.
After buying the iconic orange boat, Jost and Davidson have found out the hard way how much it actually costs to not only dock and maintain a giant ferry, but also renovate it. Already, the two comedians have spent around $1 million, including legal fees and the original purchase, on this estimated $34 million project. Chris LaPorta, a coordinator for the New York State Department of Conservation, told The City Reporter he could save Jost and Davidson from any further cash flow by turning it into an artificial reef, and therefore a unique underwater attraction:
Something like a Staten Island Ferry would be approaching a naval vessel. They are gorgeous. They would make a fine habitat, for sure. Think about the iconic look on the bottom for divers because you’ve got that beautiful blazing orange and the navy blue. It would be something.
Artificial reefs have been a key way of fostering and diversifying marine life in the face of climate change since the 1980s, using primarily old ships and concrete, cleared of toxins, to simulate coral reefs on the smooth ocean floor. They provide a surface for coral and other reef organisms to naturally grow on, and have proven to replenish marine life populations that have dwindled due to the fishing industry.
Currently, New York State manages 16 artificial reefs in its jurisdiction, spread out along both sides of Long Island, but none as large as Jost and Davidson’s Staten Island Ferry. When it comes to artificial reefs, the bigger the better.
Bill Cadden, founder of the Long Island Reef Society, says he and the NYDEC have had their minds set on the Titanic 2, formerly the John F. Kennedy Staten Island Ferry, for as long as the SNL alum, if not longer:
I knew that the Kennedy was going to be coming out of service because they were building three new boats down in Florida. When the new boats started rolling in, the Kennedy, being the last of her class, was going to be on the chopping block. That’s where Mr. Davidson and company came into the picture. They had the winning bid.
I’m not sure Davidson and Jost would call it a win in hindsight. Although the pair claim they’ve made a significant return on investment from commercial use and ad partnerships, like when Nike wrapped it for the NYC marathon last year, they still don’t have the funds to renovate past the one floor yet. Until they do, the boat will continue to cost money for docking and maintenance, a debt they’ve already been sued for.
Ironically, Jost joked in a recent Weekend Update sketch about paying some Kamikaze Dolphins (played by Mikey Day and Marcello Hernández) to sink his Staten Island Ferry, and as with every joke about the Titanic 2 on SNL, he seems to be only half kidding.
All jokes aside, I do understand the benefit of the comedians killing their darling and letting it sleep with the fishes. An artificial reef could be good for the environment, and it could save the ferry’s integrity and it might help Jost and Davidson save some money. Perhaps they can sink it close to home near Staten Island.
However, that stubborn New York pride might be their downfall, as the Weekend Update host and The Pickup actor seem steadfast in making their entertainment space idea succeed. I hope for their sake they prove me wrong!
