Alarms, more buoys among safety updates for Wolfe Island ferry after damage: MPP

Real-time course monitoring and navigational alarms that will sound sooner in strong winds are among the safety updates planned for the Wolfe Islander IV after the ferry was damaged, according to the region's MPP.

Ted Hsu, who represents Kingston and the Islands, said he met with Ontario's Ministry of Transportation (MTO) late last month for a briefing about what was being done to prevent a repeat of the Dec. 4 incident that left the vessel out of service for months while it underwent repairs.

The ministry has shared few details about what led to the incident in which the boat is believed to have struck bottom, tearing a roughly 30-centimetre gash in its hull and causing it to take on water.

Documents obtained by CBC show the vessel had left its typical course when the damage occurred.

"The safe operation of the Wolfe Islander ferry is our highest priority," read a statement from Patrick Whitten, director of issues management with the office of Ontario's Transportation Minister, which was sent by email Tuesday evening.

He confirmed the ministry had made changes to improve safety and ensure captains have the "best available navigational information to rely on."

The updates include a new high-resolution survey of the channel bottom, carried out by the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS), a federal body that produces navigational charts.

That revealed some of the buoys marking the ferry route needed to be moved, according to CHS operations manager Andrew Leyzack, who said the coast guard quickly re-set them.

Hsu said the number of buoys used to guide the boat between the island and Kingston has also been increased from five to seven.

"They're going to be all-weather, lit buoys, so the route is going to be marked a bit better," the MPP explained.

Changes are coming to procedures aboard the ferry too, he told CBC.

Hsu said in the past former captains or crew members might go up to the bridge to visit with staff while the vessel was underway. That tradition can continue during the mid-point of a crossing, but only those actually on the job will be allowed on the bridge during departure and arrival, according to the MPP.

"It's great that the community is is there, and there's a whole community of people who know the know the ferries, but they're putting in these new procedures to reduce the chance that there's another accident like this," he explained.

In a post shared on social media Monday, the MPP wrote "enhanced training" including simulator exercises and drills for "more effective decision-making on the bridge" was also taking place.

Hsu said he was told audible alarms have also been added to the electronic navigation system, which will sound earlier in "adverse conditions" such as strong winds.

Historical weather data from Environment Canada shows winds of 40-45 km/h were blowing in Kingston around the time the ferry was damaged. That's led some residents to question whether the new ferry is a "fair-weather boat."

"The Wolfe Islander IV has to serve the people of Kingston and Wolfe Island all year round in bad weather," said Hsu, who pointed out it also has a deeper draft than the previous ferry, meaning it's "less forgiving" if it goes off course.

"I feel that MTO is doing whatever it can to make sure that it's an all-weather boat," he said. "Let's try these new procedures and and then make a judgment later as to whether it's an all-weather boat or a mostly fair-weather boat."