The Cat ferry, which will operate between Portland and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, this summer, was refloated Wednesday after more than a month in drydock for repairs and refitting, Bay Ferries Ltd. said.

The company said the ship is about to exit the drydock in Charleston, South Carolina, and then undergo inspection, some final work and dock and sea trials. The schedule for its trip north from Charleston has not been set, the company said, but it’s expected to enter service on June 15.

The high-speed catamaran is owned by the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, which took ownership of the vessel after its initial owner, a ferry service in Hawaii, went bankrupt. Bay Ferries is leasing the ship, which will replace the Nova Star, a ferry that operated the Portland-Nova Scotia run the past two summers.


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