MV Saaremaa out of commission for season, officials say

One of the beleaguered vessels serving Northumberland Ferries Ltd.’s route between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia will not be returning to service this season.

Company general manager Jeff Joyce said in a news release Monday that more mechanical issues have been discovered with one of the main engines of MV Saaremaa, which is being leased from Quebec’s ferry service for a third season.

“The vessel is continuing to progress main engine repairs, and once the engine repairs are complete, MV Saaremaa 1 will be prepped for its return voyage to Quebec, likely at the end of October,” Joyce said.

Earlier this month, officials said it would be at least Oct. 19 before the Saaremaa could resume operating on the seasonal ferry service across the Northumberland Strait.

Meanwhile, the second vessel on the route — MV Confederation — could go back in service earlier than the previously set date of Dec. 9 if authorities determine the vessel can be safely operated without its bow visor and how risks could be mitigated to ensure passenger safety.

Repair work on its damaged bow visor has gone well so far, according to Joyce, and Northumberland Ferries has carried out an internal risk assessment to identify possible hazards of operating without it.

“NFL will continue to work closely with the shipyard in Pictou, Nova Scotia and believe that the schedule can be improved,” Joyce said in the release. “NFL will be in a better position to forecast any schedule improvements by the end of this month.”

Vessels have dealt with mechanical issues for several weeks

This comes less than a month after ferry service between Wood Islands, P.E.I., and Caribou, N.S., ground to a halt when a temporary repair on the Saaremaa failed and it was pulled from operation, leaving the route unserviced with the Confederation undergoing hull work in Pictou.

The Saaremaa has been plagued by engine problems since this summer, while a collision with the Wood Islands wharf earlier in September left the Confederation with a hole in its bow. The collision was caused by a technical problem that affected the vessel’s ability to brake and left the bow door or visor of the roll-on, roll-off ferry inoperable.

Northumberland Ferries has been leasing the Saaremaa from Quebec as a replacement for MV Holiday Island, which caught fire during a crossing in 2022 and had to be scrapped.