The ferry left Lower Manhattan at 2:00 p.m., but experienced a power problem and had to return to Whitehall Street.
When the ferry was docking, it had a hard landing and damaged the ferry slip.
Passenger Auel Kanaybekov tells Eyewitness News they were close to docking, but the boat was moving at an accelerated speed. The boat hit the wooden barriers, and everyone short of shifted to the right, he said.
Kanaybekov says the officers on the boat started yelling to everyone to "get down! Get down!" He said an announcement warned that the boat was going to hit the bridge. People on the front of the boat turned around and start running to the back. Kanaybekov said he got knocked over because everyone was running back when the boat hit.
Officials say the ferry, named for Guy V. Molinari, did not sustain any damage.
All passengers left the ferry without injury, according to the Coast Guard.
Officials say the Staten Island Ferry should be operating on a normal schedule for the morning commute on Friday.
