Latest news with #MVFanafjord
CBC
25-04-2025
- CBC
MV Northumberland is ready for her closeup on the P.E.I.-Nova Scotia summer ferry service
Northumberland Ferries Ltd. invited reporters on board its new ship Friday, to take a stem-to-stern look at the vessel formerly known as MV Fanafjord. It's been redubbed the Northumberland, and officials say it's is about 98 per cent ready to go on the seasonal ferry service between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. CBC's Wayne Thibodeau has the details.
CBC
17-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Ferry service between P.E.I. and N.S. will be more reliable this season, CEO promises
Officials with Northumberland Ferries Ltd. say they're confident this year's ferry season will be better and more reliable than last year's. The seasonal ferry service that runs between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia is scheduled to begin May 1 and will include MV Northumberland, a vessel Transport Canada bought from Norwegian owners that is being added to the service. It was formerly called MV Fanafjord. "I think the general public is going to be very impressed with that vessel," said Mark Wilson, the president and CEO of Northumberland Ferries. "There is more redundancy on that vessel in case something does happen with an engine or with a thruster. There is the ability to continue to sail safely and reliability." The Northumberland Strait ferry service has been struggling since the Holiday Island was scrapped after a fire in the summer of 2022, leaving only MV Confederation on the run. That ship and MV Saareema, leased from the Quebec ferry service for two seasons, then faced their own share of problems. Ferry firm hopes for a trouble-free season as new vessel added: 'It's darn near close to a new ship' 1 hour ago Duration 2:38 The seasonal ferry service that runs between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia will start operation on May 1. Northumberland Ferries says it's doing everything it can to move on from the mechanical problems from last season, and promises the service will be more reliable this year. CBC's Wayne Thibodeau reports. The Confederation ran into the wharf at Wood Islands last year, leaving it out of service for four weeks. Having two boats in service this year should ensure a more reliable service, Wilson said, noting that both vessels have gone through pre-season maintenance. 'It's absolutely vital': business leaders For business leaders in eastern P.E.I., improvements to the ferry service's reliability are critical. "We know the travelling public is struggling with the notion of planning on using the ferry, especially from the commercial side," said Blair Aitken, the president of the Eastern P.E.I. Chamber of Commerce. Businesses that have lost confidence in the ferry service have opted instead to use the Confederation Bridge that links western P.E.I. to New Brunswick, Aitken said. "We're hopeful that Northumberland Ferries has plans of some sort to bring back public confidence in their system," he said, noting that a reliable, dependable service would do that over time. Aitken said he's hoping to see a season that begins and runs without maintenance issues, and operates on schedule with a reservation system that serves the public's leisure and commercial needs. "It's absolutely vital. I mean, it's vital to the eastern region, it's extremely important to the Island in general," he said. "The ferry system is highly important to the people of the region, to the businesses of the region on both sides of the strait." Any issues with the service this year will be magnified in the eyes of the public, Aitken warned. Season starts May 1 As the ferry season inches closer, one outstanding issue remains: the new ship is a tight fit into the dock at Wood Islands, NFL's Wilson said. "It fits well into Caribou. It fits OK into Wood Islands," he said. "We need to do some more modifications on the rubber blocks, but it's not a big deal." Transport Canada told CBC News it's working with the ferry operator to ensure the vessels are ready for the start of the season. MV Confederation will begin service for the season on May 1, and MV Northumberland will begin service in mid-June. During peak season, the service will offer eight round trips a day. To welcome it to eastern P.E.I., the Northumberland will be open to the general public on April 26 and 27 as part of Doors Open Down East event. The ship will depart the Wood Islands dock at 3:30 p.m. on April 27 to make its way back across the Northumberland Strait to Nova Scotia, where it has been docked at Pictou.
CBC
02-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
No damage to new ferry for N.S.-P.E.I. run after pipes froze during voyage, company says
Issue recently raised by federal Conservative candidate James Aylward The new vessel for the ferry service between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia experienced minor issues during its transatlantic voyage but suffered no damage, says the company that operates the service. MV Northumberland, which was acquired by Transport Canada for around $40 million, is currently docked in Pictou, N.S. Formerly named MV Fanafjord, the ship began its journey from Norway last December and arrived here in January. The ferry service across the Northumberland Strait has been inconsistent since the MV Holiday Island had to be scrapped following a fire aboard the ship in 2022. Last season, MV Confederation, the other vessel on the run, collided with the wharf and was out of service for weeks so damage could be repaired. MV Saaremaa, which Transport Canada leased from Quebec after Holiday Island was scrapped, is not designed for the often windy conditions on the strait, leading to frequent cancellations. Northumberland is expected to be a more reliable vessel for the service. But during a recent roundtable discussion on CBC's Island Morning with candidates running in P.E.I.'s federal Cardigan riding, Conservative candidate James Aylward raised concerns about the new vessel. "She's now over on the Nova Scotia side tied up with burst pipes because it wasn't winterized properly," Aylward said. He elaborated later that day on social media: "This ferry was left unwinterized when it arrived from Norway, resulting in many of the pipes freezing and bursting. We are now hearing that her new diesel engines were damaged from this total lack of maintenance and mismanagement." Ferry 'ready to go' Mark Wilson, president and CEO of Northumberland Ferries Ltd., said there were issues with pipes during the vessel's trip from Bermuda to Pictou, the final leg of its voyage. The vessel is designed to Norwegian specifications and the ship's freshwater pipes were insulated, Wilson said. "We experienced some very extreme winter conditions, resulting in some frozen freshwater pipes on the car deck," he told CBC News. "I wouldn't really classify it necessarily as a repair. We just found a solution to the issue and made it right." Wilson said it was a "relatively quick fix." "That didn't cause any damage anywhere throughout the ship," he said. "In terms of the diesel engines on the vessel, everything is in good working order, sailed well across the Atlantic, and the engines are brand new and ready to go [into] service this upcoming season." Wilson added that the company does not report minor maintenance issues to Transport Canada. Crew training and sea trials The ferry service is scheduled to resume for the season in May. Northumberland Ferries traditionally uses one ferry, MV Confederation, in the shoulder seasons and two during peak months. Wilson said preparations for MV Northumberland's inaugural season are well underway, with crew training ongoing. The ferry will be out for dock fits next week, he said, then will undergo extensive sea trials from both ports for the remainder of April.
