The Atlantic Vision was kept dockside in Port aux Basques, N.L., following Tuesday's collision that resulted in a hole in the stern, visible on the right side of this photo. (Courtesy: Goldie Hardy)

Marine Atlantic says the Atlantic Vision, damaged in a docking crash this week, has been repaired and is back in service between southwestern Newfoundland and northern Nova Scotia.

The company said in a release that all its ferries were expected to be back on a regular schedule by Wednesday night.

The crash Tuesday morning resulted in a traffic and scheduling mess for Marine Atlantic, with hundreds of passengers waiting in their vehicles in the terminal parking lot at Port aux Basques, N.L., and hundreds of others waiting aboard two other ships just off the coast.

The MV Caribou and the MV Leif Ericson weren't able to dock because the Atlantic Vision was taking up most of the space.

The vessel was unable to move because of damage it suffered Tuesday as it manoeuvred into port. A large gust of wind blew the ship into the dock, creating a hole in the stern just larger than the size of a soccer ball.

Crews were left scrambling to repair the ship and get it back in service.

The Marine Atlantic terminal in Port aux Basques on Wednesday morning was filled with angry, frustrated people who had been waiting most of the night for information, said CBC reporter Cherie Wheeler.

"People are not only really frustrated by the wait," Wheeler reported in the morning, "but [also] by the lack of information."

She said people were telling her they'd been given a number to call to find out the latest on the scheduling problems, but the information was dated.

No announcement on departure

Passenger Trudy Veitch of Holyrood, N.L., had been sitting in her vehicle in the terminal parking lot since 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. She was supposed to cross to Nova Scotia on a midnight sailing.

"There's no announcement on when we're going to go," she told CBC News on Wednesday morning. "They keep saying that it's going to probably be at a certain time, but it never happens."

Veitch said were between 150 and 200 vehicles in the parking lot, along with a large number of transport trucks waiting to sail.

She said it was tough getting solid information on how the repair job was going.

"The communication was none until about 2:30 or 3 this morning. If you went to the desk and asked them, they would tell us that they couldn't tell us anything."

The Atlantic Vision was punctured as it attempted to dock at Marine Atlantic's terminal in Port aux Basques on Tuesday. The problem has caused travel delays. (CBC)

Marine Atlantic president Wayne Follett said crews worked all night long to repair the ship.

"These repairs have been inspected and approved by the ship's classification society in consultation with Transport Canada," he said in a release. "Based upon the quality of the repair, each of these agencies will provide clearance to return to full service."

All customers with a reservation will have been taken care of, the company said. The MV Leif Ericson will remain on the run for at least the next 24 hours to clear any backlog in transport-truck traffic.

The Atlantic Vision, which has only been in service since April, was making its final approach to the dock in Port aux Basques at about 7:45 a.m. Tuesday when high winds smashed the vessel against the dock's fender system.

The crash caused a puncture in the stern about five metres above the waterline and minor scraping along the tailfin of the vessel.

No one was injured in the collision.