Ageing ferries cause for concern

Soaring repair bills and more frequent service interruptions can be expected with Marine Atlantic?s ageing fleet of ferries, the union representing navigators, engineers, electricians and radar technicians aboard the vessels warned. Owned by the Canadian Federal Crown, the ferries provide a vital marine transportation link across the Cabot Strait between Newfoundland and Labrador and mainland Canada.

“It?s time for Ottawa and the Crown corporation to take a hard look at repair costs versus those of replacement,” said Mario Elrick, with the Canadian Marine Officers Union. He said officers represented by the union are sounding the alarm about the cost and frequency of repairs and the potential safety threat of out-of-date technology to the travelling public and workers on the vessels that link Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.

Recently, a power failure onboard the ?Leif Ericson? led to the ferry colliding with a barrier at Port aux Basques in the minutes it took the crew to restore the power outage caused by a coolant leak.

Roger Flood, chief executive officer of Marine Atlantic, said that the crew?s quick response lessened the severity of the impact when the vessel hit a concrete structure at the edge of the harbour. The incident has prompted members of the Canadian Marine Officers Union to call for more talk about the future of the ferry system. Elrick said “These vessels are operating at full capacity 24 hours per day and seven days a week and it is clear breakdowns are occurring more frequently.” The ?Caribou? is still out of service due to a mechanical problem. About 1,300 passengers were stranded at North Sydney in July after the ?Leif Ericson? lost a turbo thruster and a replacement part had to be rushed in from Switzerland.

Marine Atlantic has three passenger-vehicle ferries: the 18,523 gt ?Leif Ericson, built in 1991; the 27,213 ?Caribou? built in 1986 and the 27,614 gt ?Joseph and Clara Smallwood? built in 1989. The 13,117 gt ro-ro ?Atlantic Freighter?, built in 1978, handles freight only.

Marine Atlantic officials have in the past indicated Transport Canada has been presented with a plan for fleet refurbishment.

Elrick said delays in planning could cost Canada an excellent opportunity to revitalize the shipbuilding sector by building replacements in the country. The ferries move about 150,000 vehicles and 500,000 people annually, mostly between North Sydney and Port aux Basques, a trip of about six hours. A run to Argentia, near St. John?s, takes roughly 14 hours.