All Monday ferry crossings between P.E.I. and N.S. cancelled
MV Confederation experiencing different mechanical issues from early-summer ones
The ferry service between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia, which has been disrupted since Saturday, has now been cancelled for the rest of the day Monday.
Northumberland Ferries Ltd. had been hoping MV Confederation would be back in service in the afternoon after its morning crossings were cancelled to let an engine technician examine the boat's power control system.
Normally, from Oct. 10 to Nov. 30, the ferry makes eight crossings a day, four from Wood Islands and four from Caribou, N.S.
The email announcing Monday's cancellation did not include information on when the service might resume.
The Confederation has been plagued by engine troubles this year. The Northumberland Strait passenger ferry service was also halted for for a few weeks this summer due to mechanical issues.
'High confidence' in ferry
Northumberland Ferries told CBC News in an email Monday that the latest problem appears to involve the power control system for MV Confederation's main engine. The company said a service technician from the engine manufacturer was on board attempting to repair the problem.
The ferry operator said the problem is not related to the technical issues earlier this summer.
In July, a naval architect told CBC News that he believed MV Confederation was ready for the scrapyard, after 30 years in service.
Despite the ferry's downtime this summer, the operator said there are no safety issues for passengers riding on Confederation.
"Due to built-in redundancies in the vessel, Northumberland Ferries Limited has high confidence in MV Confederation's ability to operate safely," the company said in its email.
"There are well-established equipment and system thresholds which must be met in order for Northumberland Ferries Limited to permit the vessel to depart the berth and sail with passengers."
While Northumberland Ferries operates the service, the ferries are owned by the federal government.
MV Holiday Island, Confederation's partner vessel for decades, caught fire while in service in 2022 and was sent to the scrapyard. Its replacement is due to be delivered in 2028.
Last month the federal government entered negotiations to purchase MV Fanafjord, a 16-year-old ferry currently operating in Norway, with hopes it would be on the water as a temporary replacement for Holiday Island next summer.
Saaremaa couldn't cover service Monday
This summer and last, the Confederation's operation has been supplemented by MV Saaremaa 1, on lease from Quebec's main ferry operator, Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ).
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"The vessel is currently at Caribou and was due to depart back to STQ in Quebec today," Nothumberland Ferries told CBC News. "We have delayed return of vessel to STQ until we have more certainty on the MV Confederation control system issue.
"We could not put MV Saareema 1 into service today as the deck modified ramping to fit the route had been removed from ship in preparation for ship's return to STQ."
