Copyright Staten Island Advance
Ahoy, there! The problematic Staten Island Ferry boat owned by “Saturday Night Live” stars and borough natives Pete Davidson and Colin Jost has been spotted out on the water. But the vessel, nicknamed “Titanic 2,” looks very different. The decommissioned ferryboat John F. Kennedy has been done up in red as part of a Nike advertising campaign centered on the New York Marathon on Sunday. The boat, being towed by a tug, was spotted in the waters off of Staten Island on Saturday morning. The slogan “NYC Won’t Carry You. It Pushes You” can be seen painted on the side of the old ferry. The boat-sized ad also includes the trademark Nike “swoosh,” with the Nike brand name replaced by the word “Run.” Staten Islander TJ Smolka had reported seeing the JFK being painted during the past few weeks while the vessel was berthed at Caddell Dry Dock & Repair on the North Shore. “It’s good to see the old girl out on the water again,” said Smolka, who has a Staten Island Ferry-centric site on Instagram, @SoVeryFerry. “I hope this boat stays around New York Harbor for a long time. Very proud of Pete and Colin for saving her and I look forward to seeing what’s next.” Smolka later on Saturday reported that the JFK had returned to its berth at Caddell. Davidson and Jost bought the vessel for $280,000 about four years ago, planning to turn it into a floating entertainment venue with restaurants, bars and performance spaces. But the pair have admitted that they might have bitten off more than they can chew with the purchase. There have been delays with the renovations and a law firm that Davidson and Jost engaged to help them with the boat has sued them for non-payment. Davidson recently said that he and Jost remain committed to their original vision for the boat, even though Jost has called the JFK “the dumbest and least thought-through purchase I’ve ever made in my life.” Nike, a popular fixture at the Empire Outlets mall in St. George, has sponsored a number of events this weekend in the lead-up to Sunday’s five-borough marathon. The company has also been running a series of marathon-themed ads at the Staten Island Ferry terminal. The marathon starts on the Staten Island side of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge at 8 a.m. on Sunday.
