The Andrew J. Barberi ferry sailed for the first time yesterday since crashing in May. Last month's crash was just one more accident, leading many to say the boat is "jinxed." The Barberi was responsible for 2003's deadly crash, and has had a history of propulsion failure since leaving the shipyard in Wisconsin in 2005. But rider Brenda Harris wasn't scared. She told the Post, "There's been three accidents in 100 years. I feel safe."
Not everyone shared her faith in statistics. When he realized just which boat he was riding, Jack Russo admitted, "If I knew, I would have skipped the boat. A 30-minute wait [for another ferry] isn't so bad, to avoid this old tub." The National Transportation Safety Board determined on Friday that defective propulsion units were at fault for the May 8th crash. The Barberi made its first trip at 9:30 this morning, docking in Manhattan half an hour after leaving Staten Island with no problems.
