To get the smell of smoke out of the Spirit of Boston, renovations include new carpets, floors, walls, wallpaper, ceilings, and windows.Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — After a two-alarm fire last year aboard the Spirit of Boston put it out of commission, the vessel is back on the water better than ever following a year-long journey of repairs and renovations.
Officials gathered April 24 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Commonwealth Pier to celebrate the popular ship's return.
Kelley Yelle of Boston Harbor City Cruises said much of the ship's damage was caused by the fire's heavy smoke. Firefighters had to break the dozens of ship's windows to give the smoke a pathway to vent from inside the ship.
"It was emotional," she said of when the fire happened and seeing the amount of damage that occurred. "It showed how incredible a fire can be. Boat windows are not easily replaced and breaking some 70-plus windows is hard, but we replaced them."
The fire broke out on the boat's first deck following an event. There were no injuries.
The repairs were done at a shipyard in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
And now, the Spirit of Boston is back open for business.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
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