Metro

Jinxed Staten Island ferry makes first voyage since May crash

It’s smooth sailing so far.

The jinxed Andrew J. Barberi ferry glided safely back and forth between Staten Island and Manhattan today in its first voyages since a May crash that injured 48 people.

The ferry also had been at the center of a 2003 crash that killed 11.

Most passengers aboard the ship today seemed unfazed by its hazardous history.

“I’m not afraid,” said rider Brenda Harris, who has traveled on city ferries since 1960. “There’s been three accidents in 100 years. I feel safe.”

But a few riders who didn’t realize they were aboard the accident-prone vessel until told by a reporter got jittery when they found out.

“I’m not sure I would have gotten on,” admitted Avi Sholbaum, 31. “Maybe I should check the names of these boats. I don’t want to tempt fate.”

Staten Island native Jack Russo, 42, agreed that two accidents in seven years was two too many.

“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,” Russo said.

The Barberi was put back in the rotation at 9:30 a.m., leaving Staten Island and docking perfectly in New York at 10 a.m.

The captain and co-captain appeared hyper-vigilant as they operated the vessel. They refused comment.

The National Transportation Safety Board on Friday found that the ship’s defective propulsion units were behind the May 8 crash, when the Barberi smashed into the Staten Island terminal. The pilots, who attempted to stop the vessel, were not at fault, the board said.