MV Saaremaa out of commission for season, officials say

One of the beleaguered vessels serving Northumberland Ferries Ltd.'s route between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia will not be returning to service this season.

Company general manager Jeff Joyce said in a news release Monday that more mechanical issues have been discovered with one of the main engines of MV Saaremaa, which is being leased from Quebec's ferry service for a third season.

"The vessel is continuing to progress main engine repairs, and once the engine repairs are complete, MV Saaremaa 1 will be prepped for its return voyage to Quebec, likely at the end of October," Joyce said.

Earlier this month, officials said it would be at least Oct. 19 before the Saaremaa could resume operating on the seasonal ferry service across the Northumberland Strait.

In an interview with CBC News on Monday, Joyce said the ferry operator learned Friday the Saaremaa would be out of commission.

"Saaremaa … had one more main engine to take apart and they did those inspections Friday morning and found the cylinders out of tolerance, so it required some additional work," he said.

Monday's announcement comes less than a month after ferry service between Wood Islands, P.E.I., and Caribou, N.S., ground to a halt when a temporary repair on the Saaremaa failed and it was pulled from operation.

That left the route unserviced with its second ferry — MV Confederation — undergoing repairs at a Pictou shipyard following a collision with the Wood Islands wharf earlier in September.

The collision, which left the Confederation with a hole in its bow, was caused by a technical problem that affected the vessel's ability to brake and left the bow door or visor of the roll-on, roll-off ferry inoperable.

The Saaremaa has been plagued by engine problems since this summer. Northumberland Ferries has been leasing that vessel from Quebec as a replacement for MV Holiday Island, which caught fire during a crossing in 2022 and had to be scrapped.

The Confederation could go back in service earlier than the previously set date of Dec. 9 if authorities determine the vessel can be safely operated without its bow visor and how risks could be mitigated to ensure passenger safety.

"We do believe that schedule could be compressed somewhat, but we'll know more by the end of this month for sure," Joyce told CBC News.

Repair work on the ferry's damaged bow visor has gone well so far, the release said, and Northumberland Ferries has carried out an internal risk assessment to identify possible hazards of operating without it.