ST. MARYS, Ga. – The city of St. Marys in Camden County welcomed back its ferry service Monday.
The Cumberland Queen II was shut down for two months due to Hurricane Irma. The city held a ribbon cutting Monday morning to officially mark the ferry's return.
The ferry helps people travel to Cumberland Island which is about 7 miles east of St. Marys.
"Cumberland is a great place. It's a national treasure. We're excited to have it back up and running," Camden County resident Jim Potter said.
The docks were badly damaged after Hurricane Irma. Along the St. Marys waterfront, barricades are still up.
"It was devastating how many boats were out there. There's still one down there. There had been so much effort put forth to clean up our waterfront," Potter said.
The Cumberland ferry is used by at least 50,000 people every year. Almost $100,000 dollars was lost while the ferry was out of commission.
Repairing the docks will take some time, and because of that, checking in to the ferry will be different.
Passengers will need to check in at the Visitor Center on St. Marys Street West one hour before the ferry leaves. You can drop off gear at the loading zone down the street, move your car to the parking lot, and then walk to the ferry dock for departure.
Reservations can be made through the Cumberland Island Ferry website.