'Pretty big bump' knocks MV Confederation out of service
A mechanical failure on MV Confederation led to a collision with the wharf Sunday, and that boat will now be out of service for at least the rest of the month, says Northumberland Ferries.
"It was a pretty big bump," said Charlottetown resident Raeanne MacNeill, who was travelling back home from Cape Breton on the ferry.
"We were in the area where all the other cars were at this point. We didn't really know what was going on."
MacNeill stumbled at the impact, she said, catching herself on a nearby vehicle. Uncertain what had happened, she just made her way to her car. Then came another announcement that the ferry would have to turn around and people would have to drive out the way they came in.
The crash was enough to damage the Confederation's front door so that it could not be opened.
"The estimated time for the ship repairs, including approval to operate is not known, but is likely going to be at least a week or two," Northumberland Ferries said in a news release.
"There were no reported injuries to any of the passengers or crew."
'I'm finding it not reliable'
The accident leaves only the MV Saaremaa to serve the route between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia, so there will be only four round-trip crossings daily until at least Sept. 30.
The collision was caused by an issue with the de-clutching of the forward end braking propeller, the company said.
MacNeill said this further problem for Northumberland Ferries is disappointing. She has family in Cape Breton and rides the ferry a lot.
"I personally love the ferry. I try to use it as much as I can," she said.
"I'm finding it not reliable any more. We typically would be able to just go on, no worries."
MacNeill used to reserve in advance, but now just takes her chances. There have been a lot of sailings cancelled, and she finds the complications of getting refunds on reservations not worth the convenience of having made one.
Problems piling up
The Saaremaa is a temporary replacement for the MV Holiday Island. It was brought into service after that ferry caught fire during a run in 2022. The ferry was beyond repair, and had to be scrapped.
The Holiday Island had already been scheduled for replacement. The announcement was in the 2019 federal budget, but the new boat is not expected to be ready before 2028.
Saaremaa is not well suited to service on the Northumberland Strait. It is not designed for the rough weather conditions, and its crossings are regularly cancelled due to high winds.
The company has said it is unsafe to operate the Saaremaa when gusts reach about 25 knots, or 46 kilometres an hour, largely due to the shape of its hull.
A longer term replacement, the MV Fanafjord, was purchased by the federal government last year, but it is still in Norway being retrofitted.
There are currently no plans to replace Confederation, which was launched in 1993, and is considered by some to be due for retirement.
