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Our 2025 Burn Boat
Monitor II, Built in 1961/62
Monitor II, Built in 1961/62
Monitor II is the last of the wooden ferry boats that crossed the Great South Bay carrying passengers to Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines – a service started on Brown’s River, Sayville, in 1894 with the ferry Mildred. Monitor II first appeared on the bay in the early 1960s and was custom built for that specific service. She is all wood, her hull made of overlapping sheets of marine plywood, a construction technique that was adopted and refined by U.S. Navy contractors in the 1940s for the famous World War II Patrol Torpedo (PT) boats. Monitor’s graceful bow curves reflect that of the PTs.
So come bid Monitor II a fond farewell on October 24th at the 35th Annual Halloween Boat Burning!
Bring family and friends to enjoy a wonderful evening overlooking the Great South Bay!
Gates open at 5:00 pm.
Monitor II: The Ferry in a Feud
In the early 1960s, two family businesses transported passengers from Sayville to Fire Island. The Steins ran ferries
and the Pokornys operated small-capacity water taxis. A rivalry began in 1961/62 when the Pokornys
commissioned Monitor II, the first ferry in their fleet. The feud grew even stronger when they added Merrimack II, a
near sister to Monitor II. Now both firms had two high-capacity ferries competing for the same customer base
going to the same destinations. The feud was eventually resolved in court where it was decided the companies
would operate two distinct routes: the Steins would serve Fire Island Pines; the Pokornys would serve Cherry Grove. During
the 1980s AIDS crisis, ridership and revenues plummeted for both companies. By 1983, Pokorny sold
the rights, dock space, and Monitor II to Stein’s Sayville Ferry Service.
Memories Shared by Many
Monitor II touched the lives of many different people under the care of both companies. Local kids worked around the boats as summer jobs - many of whom evolved from crew or maintenance workers to become maritime professionals, captains, mechanics, and builders. Big-time celebrities stepped aboard, too, like Rock Hudson, Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minelli, Marilyn Monroe, and more. Now, revelers at Long Island Maritime Museum’s 35th Annual Boat Burning will share in the heartfelt farewell to the vessel that ferried fond summer memories for so many.
In the early 1960s, two family businesses transported passengers from Sayville to Fire Island. The Steins ran ferries
and the Pokornys operated small-capacity water taxis. A rivalry began in 1961/62 when the Pokornys
commissioned Monitor II, the first ferry in their fleet. The feud grew even stronger when they added Merrimack II, a
near sister to Monitor II. Now both firms had two high-capacity ferries competing for the same customer base
going to the same destinations. The feud was eventually resolved in court where it was decided the companies
would operate two distinct routes: the Steins would serve Fire Island Pines; the Pokornys would serve Cherry Grove. During
the 1980s AIDS crisis, ridership and revenues plummeted for both companies. By 1983, Pokorny sold
the rights, dock space, and Monitor II to Stein’s Sayville Ferry Service.
Memories Shared by Many
Monitor II touched the lives of many different people under the care of both companies. Local kids worked around the boats as summer jobs - many of whom evolved from crew or maintenance workers to become maritime professionals, captains, mechanics, and builders. Big-time celebrities stepped aboard, too, like Rock Hudson, Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minelli, Marilyn Monroe, and more. Now, revelers at Long Island Maritime Museum’s 35th Annual Boat Burning will share in the heartfelt farewell to the vessel that ferried fond summer memories for so many.
A Community Tradition
Thank you one and all, particularly Al Pisacano, his son Dale, and the crew from Al's Mobil Marine
who provided their expertise moving & blocking our 2025 burn boat!
Likewise, it would not be possible without the support of the West Sayville Fire Department,
Suffolk County Parks Department, Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue & Emergency Services,
and Community Ambulance Company, Inc.
Additionally, we would like to give a great big thank you to our volunteers, staff,
and community for helping to make this event a great success!
Memories of past events ...
photography by Ryan Sweezey & Gary O'Rourke.
photography by Ryan Sweezey & Gary O'Rourke.
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