NEW ORLEANS — The Algiers Ferry is back in business. The boats have been out of service for more than two months.
Sunday, the 162-foot offshore crewboat Margaret LAB took over the job on a temporary basis.
"It's been far too long that we have not been able to provide service," New Orleans Regional Transit Authority CEO Alex Wiggins said. "This is a very good temporary solution as we look for a more permanent fix."
About 70 riders second lined it to the Algiers Landing to be the first to cross the Mississippi on the temporary ferry boat.
Hillary Hanning, owner of Tavolino Pizza on the Point called it an early Christmas present.
The lack of ferries kept many tourists from visiting Algiers, creating a hardship for businesses there.
"All of the businesses have seen a decline and it's been hard," Hanning said. "It's been really hard, but the thing that really got us through is we stayed hopeful and positive."
Rider Katie Lamb said it took too long to get a temporary ferry in place, but she's grateful.
"My children and I take the ferry to school and to work," Lamb said. "We are both in the Quarter, so it's pretty much every day and we have been anxiously awaiting this day."
The RTA's top officers, including Wiggins were on the boat to greet passengers.
The temporary vessel is needed because the new ferries that arrived in the city more than a year ago can't pass Coast Guard inspection.
The older ferries they were meant to replace are unreliable and not in working order.
"This does give us additional time," Wiggins said. "We just completed an exhaustive marine survey of the new vessels. We're working through that. This does buy us a bit more time."
The new $10 million ferries are heading back to the boat builder Metal Shark in Jeanerette.
"There's some punch list work that needs to be done," Wiggins said. "Some cosmetic and structural work that needs to be done."
Wiggins added, "We just have to make sure the crews are ready to go, to make sure we can perform rescue operations."
The Margaret LAB is owned by the parent company of LabMar Ferry Services, the RTA's new ferry operator.
Company spokesman John Peter Laborde said LabMar is excited to provide the vessel and the crew and support for it.
"The fact that we have these boats available and we were able to take one, convert it into a passenger service vessel and go through the Coast Guard inspection in under six days and place it into service is something we are really proud of," Laborde said.
Back on Algiers Point, Hillary Hanning hopes with ferry services restored, business will pick back up again.
"The interim boat is going to be crucial for us, especially during the end of the Holidays," Hanning said. "Let's just hope that we can keep it running and we have back up ferries and the plan is good and the management is great, so fingers crossed."
The Algiers-Canal Street ferry was expected to resume normal operations at 6 a.m. Monday.