No damage to new ferry for N.S.-P.E.I. run after pipes froze during voyage, company says

Thinh Nguyen · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 02, 2025 3:15 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

The new vessel for the ferry work betwixt Prince Edward Island  and Nova Scotia experienced insignificant issues during its transatlantic voyage but suffered nary damage, says the institution that operates the service.

MV Northumberland, which was acquired by Transport Canada for around $40 million, is presently docked successful Pictou, N.S. Formerly named MV Fanafjord, the vessel began its travel from Norway last December and arrived here in January.

The ferry work crossed the Northumberland Strait has been inconsistent since the MV Holiday Island had to beryllium scrapped pursuing a occurrence aboard the vessel successful 2022. 

Last season, MV Confederation, the different vas connected the run, collided with the wharf and was out of work for weeks truthful harm could beryllium repaired.

MV Saaremaa, which Transport Canada leased from Quebec aft Holiday Island was scrapped, is not designed for the often windy conditions connected the strait, starring to predominant cancellations.

Northumberland is expected to beryllium a more reliable vas for the service.

But during a caller roundtable treatment connected CBC's Island Morning with candidates running in P.E.I.'s federal Cardigan riding, Conservative campaigner James Aylward raised concerns about the caller vessel.

"She's present implicit connected the Nova Scotia broadside tied up with burst pipes due to the fact that it wasn't winterized properly," Aylward said.

He elaborated aboriginal that time connected societal media: "This ferry was near unwinterized erstwhile it arrived from Norway, resulting successful galore of the pipes freezing and bursting. We are present proceeding that her caller diesel engines were damaged from this full deficiency of attraction and mismanagement."

Ferry 'ready to go'

Mark Wilson, president and CEO of Northumberland Ferries Ltd., said determination were issues with pipes during the vessel's trip from Bermuda to Pictou, the last limb of its voyage. 

The vas is designed to Norwegian specifications and the ship's freshwater pipes were insulated, Wilson said.

"We experienced immoderate precise utmost wintertime conditions, resulting successful immoderate frozen freshwater pipes connected the car deck," helium told CBC News.

"I wouldn't truly classify it needfully arsenic a repair. We conscionable recovered a solution to the contented and made it right."

Wilson said it was a "relatively speedy fix."

"That didn't origin immoderate harm anyplace passim the ship," helium said.

"In presumption of the diesel engines connected the vessel, everything is successful bully moving order, sailed good crossed the Atlantic, and the engines are marque caller and acceptable to spell [into] service this upcoming season."

Wilson added that the institution does not study insignificant attraction issues to Transport Canada.

Crew grooming and oversea trials

The ferry work is scheduled to resume for the play successful May.

Northumberland Ferries traditionally uses 1 ferry, MV Confederation, in the enarthrosis seasons and 2 during highest months.

Wilson said preparations for MV Northumberland's inaugural play are good underway, with unit training ongoing.

The ferry volition beryllium retired for dock fits adjacent week, helium said, past volition acquisition extended oversea trials from both ports for the remainder of April.