The Langdale small-boat float was opened to public access Feb. 29.
"The result is that we now have a significantly improved float to drop off and pick up passengers alongside the Stormaway float," said Joe Wright of the Langdale Access Working Group."The small-boat float is long enough to accommodate two boats at a time, and since access is now easier than before, boaters should be able to operate more efficiently at busy summer peaks."
Construction of the float was born of safety concerns with members of the community, including residents of Gambier and Keats islands, using the Stormaway float to drop off and pick up passengers at Langdale.
The float was announced in December 2011 and slated for construction the following month. Delays and troublesome weather pushed the opening of the float into late-February.
The structure will be available from 6 a.m. every day until 15 minutes after the last ferry arrives at the Langdale ferry terminal, or approximately 10:10 p.m.
Access to the passenger ramp will also be restricted for five minutes before each departure of the ferry.
After-hours emergency access will be available to paramedics responding to 9-1-1 emergencies.
Users of the terminal are not permitted to use the Stormaway float, whether vacant or not.
"This is not required practice, but it is strongly recommended that boaters avoid trying to dock at the new float while a big ferry is docking or departing," recommended Wright, pointing to the challenge of tying up a boat while fighting the turbulence created by a docking or departing ferry.
