The “several days” the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry would be running at reduced capacity after the ferry “Pocahontas” was sidelined for emergency service Thursday morning turned out to be several hours.
Although the Virginia Department of Transportation expects that maintenance to last for several days, the “Pocahontas” was back in service by about 5:30 p.m.
The “Pocahontas” encountered an unexpected mechanical issue, according to a news release from VDOT. Operations were cut by 50 vehicles an hour as crews repaired the vessel, with the “Williamsburg” and “Surry” continuing to carry passengers across the James River on the normal ferry schedule.
For the most up-to-date information regarding ferry service, motorists should call 1-800-VA-FERRY.
Throughout December and January, the ferry service was affected by emergency maintenance three times. The “Pocahontas” was knocked out of service due to an engine issue in January. It was also temporarily disabled in December.
Kristopher Purzycki, a VDOT spokesperson, said in January that the unique nature of ferry engines can cause the search for a replacement part to take days. Sometimes a new part must be manufactured.
“This is a service that runs 24/7,” Purzycki said. “The nature of the rotation makes the ‘Pocahontas’ get a lot of mileage. It doesn’t require any more or less maintenance than the other two boats. When it’s taken out for any amount of time, the impact is much more significant than with the other two boats.”
The “Pocahontas” was built in 1995, making it the newest ship in the ferry fleet. It can carry 70 cars, which makes it the biggest ship in the fleet. The “Surry” and “Williamsburg,” from 1979 and 1983 respectively, can each carry 50 vehicles.
The other ferry in the fleet is the “Virginia” which was built in 1936. A project is currently under way to replace that ferry with a new 70-passenger vehicle. VDOT officials are currently reviewing bids they received for the project.
