Tough talk on 'lemon' ferries from transportation minister

An irritated Transportation Minister had some tough words on Tuesday afternoon about the ongoing delays to ferry services in Newfoundland.

Al Hawkins said the problems with the MV Veteran, which remains tied up for repairs in St. John's, have been unacceptable and the ongoing troubles on the Fogo Island and Bell Island runs have left him with a "short fuse."

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"My patience is growing thinner and thinner every day that I've got to deal with these issues,"  he told reporters after question period.

Since officially launching in November, the MV Veteran — which is supposed to be servicing the Fogo Island-Change Islands ferry run — has been taken out of service four times.

Meanwhile, across the province, delays in preparing wharves in Portugal Cove and Bell Island means the new MV Legionnaire, purchased from the same manufacturer, also can't run.

"In a lot of cases, and I use this word loosely, If you're thrown a lemon you gotta make lemonade," Hawkins said. "I am trying to make the best of the situation I was given."

'Not good performance'

The latest problem with the Veteran, a faulty port-thruster, has taken the boat out of service since April.

The province is planning to return the boat to the Fogo Island run by the end of May, but Hawkins said he wants to make sure it will not then be hit with another problem.

"I've been very, very clear with them. I want some degree of assurance that when this vessel leaves St. John's this time, going back into service, I need a degree of confidence that this is going to work," Hawkins said.

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The minister said he has asked for compensation from the boat's manufacturer, Damen Shipyards, for the issues with the vessel.

He said it's too early to predict how the discussions might finish, but claimed the conversations were "less than hospitable."

Wants work replicated

The Veteran and the Legionnaire were both constructed in Romania. 

The Legionnaire hasn't been delivered yet, even though it's ready. Hawkins said he wants to make sure it gets the fixes done on the Veteran before it gets here.

In an email late Tuesday afternoon, the department said it is costing $51,000 a month to keep the Legionaire in Romania, plus $36,000 for dry-docking before departure.

"To date, the Provincial Government has not paid any of the costs associated with the vessel being kept in Romania. The fees are part of our discussions with Damen," said the statement.

It would be even more expensive to keep the Legionnaire in St. John's — $85,000 a month, or Lewisporte — $56,000 a month, while wharf work is completed.

In an interview in February, Jan van Hogerwou, a senior executive for Damen Shipyards, said his company took full responsibility for the issues with the Veteran.

"We will not rest until this vessel is solid and trustable in operation," he said.