Ferry service to St George’s is critical to keep retailers in the town afloat, according to Mayor Garth Rothwell.With the summer season approaching, the Mayor said the Corporation of St George’s and the Government have been in talks about creating a robust ferry schedule to help the town make the most out of the upcoming tourist season.“It’s absolutely critical to keep the smaller businesses in the town viable,” Mr Rothwell said. “I think the biggest issue for St George’s right now.“We have been talking to Marine and Ports about putting together a ferry schedule which is at least comparable to last year.”The historic town has suffered in recent years due to a lack of cruise ships visiting the port. In an effort to support struggling retailers, the Corporation has pushed to improve ferry service between the town and Dockyard in the summer months.The 400-seat charter ferry Millennium, being brought to Bermuda to complement the existing ferry fleet, is specifically intended to serve the town. However Mr Rothwell said the schedule is the critical element.“It’s a question of making the ferry schedule fit the cruise ship schedule to maximise the number of persons who can get to St George’s.“We understand that there is a heavy demand for trips to St George’s. We just need the ferry schedule to match the times the cruise ship are in.”Mr Rothwell also said that the Corporation is eager to move forward with a planned marina on Ordnance Island, but is waiting for Government to lend necessary support for the project.Mr Rothwell said: “We would like to have it up and running by March next year, but that means we really have to start moving right away.“We have investors ready to proceed with the marina. We’re eager to move ahead with it, however it needs a certain level of support from the Government.“We are at the precent time waiting for Government to come back and say they are supporting the project. Without that support, it’s difficult to go ahead.”It has been reported that in order for the project to move ahead, the St George’s ferry terminal must first be moved to the Tiger Bay area.The Mayor said he was optimistic about the future of the St George’s Golf Course, particularly after Minister of Tourism and Transport Shawn Crockwell revealed that several interested parties have contacted the Government about utilising the space.However Mr Rothwell noted that the Park Hyatt Act must be repealed before any real work on the site can begin, and said he knew little about the proposals themselves.