Robin's Blog for Dauphin Island

Monday, April 21, 2008

By KATHERINE SAYRE Staff Reporter

Ferry service across the mouth of Mobile Bay could double this summer with the use of two vessels between Dauphin Island and Fort Morgan during the busy beach season, state transportation and ferry officials said.

But the main ferry -- a 162-foot vessel called the Fort Morgan -- has been out of service for repairs since December and needs approval from the U.S. Coast Guard before returning.

In the meantime, the smaller Marissa Mae Nicole vessel has ferried passengers on the route from Dauphin Island's east end to Baldwin County¢cm EQºs historic Fort Morgan site.

The ferry service is operated by Hornblower Marine Services Inc. for the Alabama Department of Transportation. The company runs ferries across the country, including the Gee's Bend ferry in Wilcox County.

Company officials said the plan is for the Fort Morgan and the 122-foot Marissa Mae Nicole to run simultaneously this summer, offering passengers a ride from either side of the bay every 45 minutes, rather than the current 1 1/2-hour wait period.

The 20-year-old Fort Morgan was taken to a dry dock in December for an inspection by the Coast Guard that is required every two years, officials said.

Leroy McMillan, chief warrant officer for the Coast Guard in Mobile, said the inspection found that the vessel was in need of several repairs, including fixing deterioration in the hull and replacing the engines with more fuel-efficient versions.

"The repairs to the vessel were extensive," McMillan said. "It's just taking time to do the work."

Neil Shanahan, Hornblower Marine's Gulf Coast operations director, said he expects the Fort Morgan to be ready by Memorial Day (May 26), the traditional start of the summer vacation season.

Boat Works Inc. is repairing the vessel at its Mobile shipyard, officials said. A state transportation spokesman said the total cost of the repairs won't be available until the work is finished.

Transportation Department officials took over the ferry service from the Alabama Historical Commission in 2005, after it was left in disrepair from Hurricane Ivan a year earlier.

The service was reopened in 2005 by Hornblower Marine, which signed a five-year contract with the state. It ran for about two months before Hurricane Katrina knocked it out of service again.

Last year, the Fort Morgan carried 8,784 cars in June and 8,970 cars in July, the two busiest months. A total of 56,565 vehicles used the ferry that year.

The Fort Morgan can carry as many as 32 vehicles and 149 passengers on a trip, while the Marissa Mae Nicole can take as many as 22 vehicles and 149 passengers.

Shanahan said that during the summer months, the ferry often traveled at capacity, with cars waiting at the docks, showing a need for a second vessel.

A study showed that about 1 in 5 cars that were left off of a ferry run decided to drive around the bay rather than wait for the next ferry, he said.

"I am very anxious to get the two-boat service up and running this year," Shanahan said. "I'm very excited about the possibilities the boats will bring us.

The state decided to lease the Marissa Mae Nicole from Hornblower Marine last year to provide both a backup boat and for expanded summer service, officials said.

In recent months, weather conditions have forced the service to stop temporarily, including two days in February, seven days in March and two days this month so far, Shanahan said.

Strong north winds have pushed water out of the bay, creating shallow waters near Fort Morgan that could cause the vessels to run aground, ferry officials said.

Kelby Linn, Dauphin Island Chamber of Commerce vice president and owner of a real estate firm, said local business owners need the ferry to run consistently for tourists.

"We can see business drop drastically when the ferry is not running," Linn said.

Tony Harris, Transportation Department spokesman, said officials have discussed dredging shallow areas but decided that the site would refill with silt, making the project ineffective.

The Department of Transportation is also planning a new system using digital signs to notify travelers long before they get to the dock when the vessels are out of service, Harris said. Such a system would save motorists an unnecessary long trip to east Dauphin Island or Fort Morgan.

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