Category Archives: ferry

Halifax Shipyard wins 2 repair contracts

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MV Oceanex Sanderling (Above), a container/cargo ship owned by Oceanex Inc., is scheduled to arrive into Halifax Shipyard’s Nova Dock during the second week of October 2013 for a two-week project to perform routine maintenance and repairs.  The project is projected to require approximately 90 employees.

Later in the fall, the MV Holiday Island (Below) is expected to arrive at Halifax Shipyard for two weeks of general repairs and routine maintenance.  The Passenger Ferry is owned by NFL Northumberland Ferries Limited and is expected to make its call into the Nova Dock in the November timeframe.  This project is expected to require approximately 50 employees.

(Both images File Photos) There is a rumor around that the GSF Grand Banks is Due for a refit over the winter. Halifax Shipyard is in the running for the work, however there may not be able to do the work due to issues with winter painting.

Yarmouth Ferry Bid Selected

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From the Press Release:
Economic and Rural Development and Tourism Minister Graham Steele announced today, Aug. 13, the province will enter into negotiations with STM Quest Inc., a proposed joint venture between ST Marine Ltd. and Quest Navigation, to set up and run a ferry between Yarmouth and Portland, Maine.

Three companies submitted business plans to operate the ferry service from Yarmouth to Maine, beginning next year. The flexible process allowed the evaluation team to communicate with the companies, requesting more information, asking questions about the plans they submitted and meeting with each of them.

After the thorough process, the team chose to begin negotiations with STM Quest Inc.

“We would like to thank the government of the province of Nova Scotia for their confidence in selecting us to help restore this vital service,” said Steve Durrell, COO of Quest Navigation. “We would also like to assure all Nova Scotians that we will devote our efforts to delivering the best value and a world-class cruise ferry service that will benefit all the people of Nova Scotia and serve as a symbol that makes everyone proud.”

A team of representatives from the Nova Scotia International Ferry Partnership and the province evaluated the plans based on financial stability, a management structure with expertise and a history of managing successful ferry services, and tourism and marketing experience.

“It’s encouraging to see this process continue to move ahead on such an important transportation link,” said Keith Condon, co-chair of the Nova Scotia International Ferry Partnership. “Knowing the province is entering negotiations on a proposal that would see a ferry in Yarmouth in 2014 is good news for the community and we are looking forward to a final announcement.”

The province remains committed to investing up to $21 million over seven years to a qualified operator with a viable and sustainable business plan showing a viable service

For more on Quest’s Previous Proposal, See This Post

Blue Putties for the Nova Dock

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This Past Friday Saw the arrival of the Marine Atlantic Ferry Blue Putties for bow repairs After she ran into the pier in Port Aux Basques NF. She re-floated on high tide.

Given that she isn’t ballasted to raise the bow, I suspect damage is probably limited to the bulbous bow. She Entered the nova dock on Sunday Morning.

UPDATE: Roland Kettle was kind enough to let me use some of the pictures he posted to the the Marine Atlantic facebook group.

3 Proposals for Yarmouth Ferry.

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The province has received business plans from three companies interested in operating a ferry in Yarmouth. The deadline for proposals was Thursday, July 4. The companies that made submissions are Balearia Caribbean, Ltd., P and O Ferries and STM/Quest. STM/Quest also bid on the last ferry rfp (details of that bid Here) Balearia Caribbean is owned by spanish company Balearia – who operates ferries from florida to the Bahmas, and Gibralter to Africa. P&O Ferries, operates several vessels in the English Channel and Irish sea, and is a european contemporary to Marine Atlantic.

A team of representatives from the Nova Scotia International Ferry Partnership and government departments will evaluate the plans as quickly as possible. The plans will be assessed based on criteria similar to the request for proposals. Criteria include financial stability, a management structure with expertise and a history of managing successful ferry services, and tourism and marketing experience.

The ferry partnership continues to play a key role by providing expert advice, promoting the opportunity, contacting companies, acting as a local contact and now evaluating plans. 

You can view the Request for Proposals Here (PDF)

Ferry updates

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It was announced today that the Government of Canada will invest in a replacement vessel for the federally-owned MV Princess of Acadia. Economic Action Plan 2013 provided funding for the new vessel and costs associated with acquiring the vessel. The procurement process to be launched soon will involve the identification and assessment of suitable candidate vessels from all over the world, including Canada.
Travelling the 70 kilometres between Digby, Nova Scotia and Saint John, New Brunswick, the MV Princess of Acadia, built in 1971, operates on a year-round basis carrying passenger and commercial traffic with a total of 155 cars and 33 tractor trailers. The MV Princess of Acadia is owned by Transport Canada and is operated by Bay Ferries Limited, a private company. Transport Canada also owns both ferry terminals and supports other private operators who provide ferry services between Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island and Caribou, Nova Scotia; and Cap-aux-Meules, Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec and Souris, Prince Edward Island.


what This means that an off the shelf vessel will be procured, rather then a new canadian build, as was the case with the most recent Marine Atlantic acquisitions. The government also announced funding for upgrades to the caribou and wood isle ferry terminals and new engines for Holliday Island.
10 days remain for bidders to make proposals for a Yarmouth cruise ferry. One of the bidders last time around was QuestNav who have a vessel the Norman Leader. It’s possible that if they do not rebid/are unsuccessfully again that they offer this vessel to the Feds. For more see this post

New Ferry Up for Approval; delivery in April 2014

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An item on todays HRM Council agenda is the Approval of the Tender for the Construction of a 4th Harbour ferry. The lowest (only) bidder meeting specifications was A.F. Theriault & Son Ltd., for Total Tender Price of $ 4,158,299.96

Metro Transit currently operates three passenger ferries (Dartmouth III, Halifax III and Woodside I). A fourth passenger ferry has been identified as a priority investment to improve the harbour ferry service between Woodside and Downtown Halifax. The fourth ferry is also recommended in the Council approved Metro Transit Five Year Strategic Operations Plan, and further recommended in the Strategic Ferry Operations Plan. This ferry will permit Metro Transit to double the peak hour service and add new off peak service on the Woodside route; these service improvements cannot be achieved with three vessels.

Tenders were publically advertised on the Province of Nova Scotia website and closed on February 22,2013.Representatives from four(4) Nova Scotia shipyards attended the Bidders Conference, but only one(1)bid was received.The other attendees to the meeting were contacted and cited a lack of capacity at present. The Likely included Abco of Lunenburg, and Pictou Industries Ltd (who built the previous 3 ferries) A.F. Theriault and Son Ltd. will commence work on notification of award, with an anticipated delivery date of April 1, 2014. The Drawings and Engineering will be done by E.Y.E Marine Consultants, who designed and managed construction on the previous 3 vessels.

Buried in an Appendix at the end of the documentation sent to Council, is a note that the existing ferries were constructed in 1978 (Dartmouth III, Halifax III) and 1986 (Woodside I) and will soon approach the end of their economic lifespan. The 4th Ferry is viewed as the initial step in a new build programme, Metro Transit therefore requires a new ferry design to serve as the foundation for recapitalization of the current fleet and an additional vessel for the Woodside service. HRM, after the 4th ferry is built, will have 4.9 million remaining in Ferry reserve fund, enough for another boat.

Approval today is all but assured, as the Voith Schnider drives have already been approved, and ordered.

Lief Ericsson departure

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Originally scheduled to sail on the 13th, Lief Ericson finally departed around 1600 today.

On the 13th, Departure was initially scheduled for 1330, but by 1900 she was scheduled to sail at 22:30. She had spent the day in the Nova Dock in the down position (below).

This morning, her departure was expected at 1100 but that time came and went as well. She exited the Nova Dock, and turned in the Narrows without the use of tugs.

The New Yarmouth Ferry?

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Quest Nav revealed its plan to introduce the never delivered Singapore laid-up Norman Leader between Yarmouth and Portland if the company is selected by the NS government to operate the route. Nova Scotia administration issued a tender in November after years without ferry link since last operator (Bay ferry) stopped in 2009.

Quest Nav will operate the ferry as the NovaStar and expect it can be operational this summer.

Singapore Technologies Engineeries, the Singapore based shipbuilder, terminated a contract with LD Lines. The contract involved the construction of a cross Channel ferry, to be called the Norman Leader, that should have cost $180 million.

LD Lines said in a statement that the yard had not responded to demands specified in the order. The company says capacities of the vessel would not have corresponded with those specified originally and that a delay in the construction also had prompted LD Lines to cancel the order. The yard will refund LD Lines $129 million and it will refund a further $15 million under certain conditions.

The Ferry is Still tied up at the builders yards in Singapore.

Quest Nav has contracted Maritime Holdings Group (MHG) of Hollywood, Florida, to manage the crewing and hotel operations on Nova Star. Since 1992, MHG has operated 12 cruise and ferry vessels around the world. MHG currently operates four passenger ships: Pinar Del Rio and Maverick, two high-speed ferries operating between south Florida and the Bahamas; Ola Esmeralda, a 500-passenger cruise vessel in the Caribbean;  Ocean Dream, a 1,200-passenger cruise vessel, which sails on three 100-day, round-the-world cruises each year from Yokohama, Japan.

The Other respondee to the tender is Maritime Applied Physics Corp. They manufacture several designs for hydrofoil fast ferries. These would likely not be in compliance with the tender, and would probably suffer from similar limitations to the CAT.