Accident knocks MV Confederation out of service, N.S.-P.E.I. ferry service reduced

A mechanical failure on MV Confederation led to a collision with the wharf Sunday, and that ferry will now be out of service for at least the rest of the month, says Northumberland Ferries.

Northumberland Ferries reported the incident on its web page late Sunday evening.

“The estimated time for the ship repairs, including approval to operate is not known, but is likely going to be at least a week or two,” the company said in a news release.

“There were no reported injuries to any of the passengers or crew.”

The accident leaves only the MV Saaremaa to serve the route between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia, so there will be only four round-trip crossings daily until at least Sept. 30.

The collision was caused by an issue with the de-clutching of the forward end braking propeller, the company said. That led to the ferry colliding with the wharf, which caused damage to the bow visor.

The Saaremaa is a temporary replacement for the MV Holiday Island. It was brought into service after that ferry caught fire during a run in 2022. The ferry was beyond repair, and had to be scrapped.

The Holiday Island had already been scheduled for replacement. The announcement was in the 2019 federal budget, but the new boat is not expected to be ready before 2028.

Saaremaa is not well suited to service on the Northumberland Strait. It is not designed for the rough weather conditions, and its crossings are regularly cancelled due to high winds.

The company has said it is unsafe to operate the Saaremaa when gusts reach about 25 knots, or 46 kilometres an hour, largely due to the shape of its hull.

A longer term replacement, the MV Fanafjord, was purchased by the federal government last year, but it is still in Norway being retrofitted.

There are currently no plans to replace Confederation, which was launched in 1993, and is considered by some to be due for retirement.