No Lynn ferry today, Wednesday

LYNN – The Lynn Ferry is in dry dock for at least two days after a group of whale watchers got a little more than they bargained for on their three hour tour.
They weren’t castaways stranded on Gilligan’s Island but a group of 157 passengers and six crew members were forced to spend a long night at sea after the boat, which doubles as the Lynn Ferry, became entangled in a lobster trap.
“Everybody is safe and secure,” said Sheila Green, a spokeswoman for the company that operates the vessel.
But the ordeal threw a wrench into the commuter ferry schedule that will take a few days to work out, said Economic Development and Industrial Corporation Executive Director James Cowdell.
The Lynn Ferry, which is operated by Boston Harbor Cruises, conducts the ferry runs in the morning and the evening but in the afternoon it takes passengers on a whale watch, Cowdell explained.
Green said the vessel went out Monday and one of the boat’s propellers became caught up in the line from a lobster trap about 15 miles offshore. Divers finally succeeded in freeing the boat early Tuesday, said Coast Guard Petty Officer MyeongHi Clegg.
Two Coast Guard cutters remained with the vessel during the night, she added, making sure the passengers were safe and that there were no medical problems.
Green described passengers as smiling and waving from the deck as the boat approached Lynn Tuesday morning shore.
Cowdell said they were able to get another boat to pick up commuters passengers in Boston Monday evening but ferry service had to be cancelled for Tuesday.
“The boat is up in Gloucester with propeller damage,” Cowdell said. “So there will be no ferry (Tuesday) or Wednesday. We hope it will only be two days.”
Cowdell said he doesn’t expect that the glitch in service will cut into the ferry’s momentum. He said earlier this month that the numbers of riders continues to rise and it is still rising.
“I don’t think it will change but unfortunately these things happen,” he said.
Passengers on the whale watch each received a refund on their $50 ticket, a $100 gift card for a future Boston Harbor Cruise and $500 cash for their troubles, Green said.
The passengers were also given food and drink and blankets to stay warm, she added.
Cowdell said he also plans to do a giveaway for Lynn Ferry commuters albeit not quite as generous as Boston Harbor Cruises.
“Because of the inconvenience we will be passing out free tickets,” he said. “To try and soften the blow.”
Material from The Associated Press was used in this story.