Northumberland Ferries likely out until at least Thursday

Following the unexpected failure of a temporary repair on MV Saaremaa, that ferry has been pulled from service leaving no boats to serve the route between Nova Scotia and P.E.I.

There have been problems with two of the four main engines on Saaremaa this summer. A temporary fix was in place on one of them, and more permanent repairs were being done on the other. In the meantime, the ship was running on just three engines.

But the temporary fix failed during the vessels last run Monday evening, leaving the ferry with just two functioning engines.

“As a result the vessel has to tie up and we’re putting all our efforts into fixing that main engine that was already being repaired,” said Jeff Joyce, general manager of Northumberland Ferries.

Technicians from the company that manufactured the engine were already on board Saaremaa, said Joyce. The plan is to complete the permanent repair that was already underway, at which point the vessel will be able to run again.

“We’re looking at something in the neighbourhood of two or three days. I’m hoping to get a much more accurate answer this morning,” he said.

“I fully appreciate our customers are scratching their heads wondering if Northumberland can actually sail vessels back and forth. And it’s been a series of unfortunate events here. We want to regain the public trust here. We aim to get Saaremaa back on route as soon as possible.”

MV Confederation still out

The service’s other ferry, MV Confederation, is out of service following a collision with the wharf on Sept. 15.

The collision was caused by a technical problem that affected the ship’s ability to brake, and left the bow door, known as the visor, of the roll-on, roll-off ferry inoperable.

Northumberland Ferries said a week ago the Confederation would be out of service until at least the end of the month.

Joyce said he is waiting for an update from the shipyard in Pictou about when that repair will be completed.

“When it ran into the fender in Wood Islands, as you can appreciate the frames behind the structure where you saw the hole were bent somewhat,” said Joyce.

“The visor actually has to be lifted off the vessel and the repairs will take place ashore. That’s the most efficient way to do this, and then the visor will be put back on.”

Replacements for replacements

Concerns about the reliability of the service have been growing this summer.

Crossings of the strait by Saaremaa have been regularly cancelled due to rough weather. The Saaremaa was built in Norway and is less suited for the often choppy waters of the Northumberland Strait.

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

Finding yet another replacement remains a possibility, said Joyce.

“It’s a tough market out there for used vessels, especially at short notice. It’s certainly something we don’t discount, but we don’t anticipate Saaremaa being out for very long,” he said.

Holiday Island was already due for replacement. A new ferry was announced in the 2019 federal budget, but at last report that ferry is still in the design stages. It is not due to be delivered until 2028.

In the meantime, the federal government purchased a ferry from Norway, the MV Fanafjord, to take the place of Saaremaa. That boat was originally planned to arrive this year, but it remains in Norway being retrofitted.

There are no plans currently to replace the 31-year-old Confederation.

CBC News has made multiple interview requests through Transport Canada to speak to the federal transport minister about the future of the ferry service this month, but the minister has not been made available.