Problems on new ferries not atypical, says naval engineer

The brand-new MV Veteran ferry to Fogo and Change Islands was out of commission again last week, but a naval engineer says problems in the first few months of a ferry's life aren't that uncommon.

• Fogo ferry repairs extended, replacement ferry heading in
• Bell Island ferry repairs aren't expected to be finished until Friday
• Small fire aboard MV Veteran knocks ferry out of service, expected back Friday

"New parts have to start working together and connecting together, some kinks will have to be worked out," said Sue Molloy, a naval architect ocean engineer who teaches at Dalhousie University.

"Ferries will definitely have issues. There's maintenance cycles, things break. Things happen on ferries. That's not untypical, same as cars or trucks," she told CBC Radio's Central Newfoundland Morning Show. 

Last Tuesday a fire broke out on the vessel, damaging a generator. With repairs taking longer than expected, transportation officials began operating a replacement ferry this past Saturday.

This has been the third major mechanical issue since the $50-million ferry started servicing the run last month.

Molloy said that until the maintenance report comes back, she can't say why the ship is running into problems, but says it likely comes down to individual parts.

"It's really unfortunate that these things have happened, and I'm sure the people who put the ferry together are not happy about it, but things sometimes get off to a bumpy start," she said. 

"Until we see the report we can't really tell why."