The St. Johns River Ferry will be taken out of service after its last run Sunday for a required inspection and scheduled maintenance.
The ferry is expected to be returned to service in three to four weeks.
Mark Fernandez, general manager of HMS Global Maritime Inc., the company that operates the ferry, said the ferry is required under U.S. Coast Guard regulations to be placed in dry dock and inspected at least twice every five years.
The mandatory inspection includes stability, hulls, propulsion and other machinery, electrical systems, lifesaving devices and arrangements, fire prevention and firefighting systems, navigation instruments and communication systems.
While it's out of service for the safety inspection, other work will be performed on the ferry.
"It's routine maintenance, like changing the oil on your car. They'll be chipping, painting, upgrading some of the control systems, installing some new railings, painting the decks and rebuilding the generators," said Fernandez.
The work will be done at BAE Systems Southeast Shipyard along Heckscher Drive about 2 miles from Mayport. The job has a budget of $915,000.
City Council member John Crescimbeni, chair of the St. Johns River Ferry Commission, said the work was scheduled in December to ensure the least impact on users of the service.
According to data provided by HMS Global Maritime, in the 12 months ending in September, an average of 33,576 vehicles and pedestrians used the ferry each month.
The highest usage was recorded in July when 45,103 vehicles and pedestrians used the ferry. The lowest monthly usage was in December, when 24,153 customers made the trip across the river connecting Florida A1A between Fort George Island and Mayport Village.
HMS Global Maritime Capt. Chris Cavanaugh said he knows of no extraordinary maintenance issues that will have to be addressed when the vessel is put in dry dock. He expects BAE will have the ferry back in service on schedule.
"When she comes out of the water, they've got the gear to do it. It's like taking a race car into the pits," he said.
Ferry users may download the JaxFerry mobile app for Apple and Android devices to receive an alert in advance of the ferry's return to normal service by visiting coj.net/mobile-apps/mobile-apps-list/jaxferry.aspx.
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