Marine Atlantic

[stvfishy]

www.canada.com/globaltv/maritimes/story.html?id=b850a0b8-da80-47a5-a0f7-1ad9bbc345f2&k=35338

Stuck ferry stuck no more
Canwest News Service
Published: Thursday, March 20, 2008
NORTH SYDNEY, N.S. — The wait is over for passengers on an East Coast ferry that had been stuck in heavy ice off Cape Breton for nearly four days.

An icebreaker reached the MV Caribou Thursday, several hours after a Canadian Coast Guard helicopter airlifted a passenger with medical problems from the ship.

The man was reportedly doing well Thursday at a Sydney, N.S. hospital.

The icebreaker, the Louis St. Laurent, cut a path through the ice to North Sydney harbour for the Caribou, which had been stranded a few kilometres offshore since Monday with just over 200 passengers and crew on board.

Commercial traffic, which had also been snarled by the ice, is also starting to clear up at up at the North Sydney ferry terminal, where two other Marine Atlantic ferries had been waiting fully loaded to head to Newfoundland.

The Louis St. Laurent began escorting the ferry Joseph and Clara Smallwood through the ice around 9:30 ET, Laing said.

As soon as it clears the ice, the St. Laurent will escort the ferry Leif Ericson, Laing said, and then return for the Caribou.

The ferries connect Port aux Basques, N.L. to North Sydney, N.S.


©Canwest News Service 2008

[Low Light Mike]

Here's the link to discussion in the shipspotting thread, re Federal funding announced for Marine Atlantic to charter a vessel:

www.shipspotting.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=4951&forum=2

And the word on the shipspotting forum is that the charter vessel will be the Jean Nicoli

Here's a link to her:
www.faktaomfartyg.se/superfast_X_2002.htm

(the ship's stern reminds me of a german-shepherd dog. re the angle of height-decline).

[Neil]

I'm not clear on this: they're 'acquiring a charter vessel'.... so.... they're chartering it for five years at $101 million, or buying it for $101 million? I hope it's the latter.

[Low Light Mike]

Apr 25, 2008 19:29:59 GMT -8 Neil said:

I'm not clear on this: they're 'acquiring a charter vessel'.... so.... they're chartering it for five years at $101 million, or buying it for $101 million? I hope it's the latter.

...today announced the Government of Canada is providing $101 million over five years, to enable Marine Atlantic Inc. (MAI) to acquire a charter vessel that will address increasing traffic to and from Newfoundland and Labrador.

I don't know if acquiring a charter vessel is just renting it for 5 years? Maybe just a poor choice of words in the press-release?

So I checked the Marine Atlantic webpage, and here's what it said:

This fall, Marine Atlantic will be adding a new ferry to our fleet. It will be the largest vessel ever to enter the harbour of Port aux Basques, which means more passengers, vehicles, and goods can be carried.

This ferry will carry in excess of 700 people and provide them with modern and well-appointed passenger areas including restaurants, gift shop, snack bar, bar, seating lounges, and a spa.

Here are a few highlights:
The Vessel
The Superfast IX is a Ro-Pax ferry. It was constructed in Kiel Germany in 2002 and was acquired by Tallink in 2006 to operate between Estonia and Helsinki.

Size
The vessel is significantly larger than any other vessel ever operated by Marine Atlantic. The ferry is 203 metres in length and has four propulsion engines with a total output of 46 Megawatts and can travel at speeds up to 27 knots. In comparison, the MV Caribou is 179 metres long. It has four engines with a total output of 21 Megawatts and can travel at speeds of up to 20 knots.

Capacity
The new ferry has in excess of 50 percent more vehicle capacity than either the MV Caribou or the MV Joseph and Clara Smallwood. It is capable of carrying approximately 531 cars or a mix of cars and commercial vehicles using the two main vehicle decks and the two lower decks. The lower decks are sized to accommodate only cars. In comparison, the MV Caribou has a capacity of carrying 350 cars or a mix of cars and commercial vehicles on its two vehicle decks.

Fuel Efficiency
On a per vehicle basis, the new vessel will be 34 percent more fuel efficient than either the MV Caribou or the MV Joseph and Clara Smallwood.

Ice Class
The vessel has an equivalent Ice Class to the MV Caribou.

Amenities
The vessel has modern passenger areas which include a gift shop, restaurants, snack bar, bar, spa, seating lounges, and 196 passenger cabins in a variety of classes. In addition, this vessel has a dedicated Trucker Lounge, the first time such amenity is offered by Marine Atlantic.

Accessibility
The vessel is fully accessible for persons with disabilities. It has elevators, appropriate cabins, and full access to restaurants, lounges, washrooms and other amenities.

So there's nothing to clear up the confusion. Is it a 5 year lease, or a buy?

So I went to Marine Atlantic's 5-year plan document:
www.marine-atlantic.ca/en/company/pub.shtml
(2008-2012 corporate plan summary).

It mentions options for fleet renewal, but doesn't say which option they are doing.

From reading the press-release again, maybe what's happening is that the Federal funding is paid-out over 5 years, and the charter-term for the ship is longer?

[WettCoast]

Looks like the Spirits will no longer hold title as the largest (by vehicle capacity) ferries in Canada.

More info...

www.capebretonpost.com/index.cfm?sid=129361&sc=145

and

www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=129360&sc=79

www.cta-otc.gc.ca/rulings-decisions/decisions/2008/W/132-W-2008_e.html

Definitely a charter...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Superfast_IX

[Neil]

That article in The Telegram mentions again $101 million for a charter.

If that's the case, people who have complained about the cost of the Northern Adventure should note, that at least after five years, we get to keep the darned thing.

[WettCoast]

www.tallink.com/mainMenu/pressRoom/stockExchangeReleases/sr_25042008_sf9_charter.htm

Quotede from the above website...

Charter of MS Superfast IX


A subsidiary of AS Tallink Grupp, Baltic SF IX Limited and Marine Atlantic Inc, a Canadian company with the state participation therein, have concluded the charter agreement of Superfast IX for five years. For the effectuation of the agreement it is required, among other terms, the approval by the Canadian Government as the project will be partly financed from the state budget. The vessel will be delivered to the charterers after the summer high season, probably in October.

After the delivery of the vessel AS Tallink Grupp will continue to operate two Superfast vessels on the Germany route, which will cover the carriage of today's volumes. Removal of one vessel from the route deminishes the route's costs by one third and will make it possible for the vessels which continue on the route to operate at better utilisation and thereby to increase the profitability.

Characteristically to a long route like German one, the consumption of the fuel is high and the increased fuel prices have affected this route more than others. In comparison to other Tallink vessels also the personnel costs are relatively higher on the Superfast vessels. The increase of the cargo tariffs on the route has not been sufficient to cover the increased costbase.

The chartering of Superfast IX is more profitable than the current result of the vessel and will increase the return on capital of the vessel individually and also of the three Superfast vessels' all together.

Janek Stalmeister
Financial Director
AS Tallink Grupp
Tel. [phone]
e-mail: [e-mail]

[WettCoast]

Apr 25, 2008 19:21:12 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

And the word on the shipspotting forum is that the charter vessel will be the Jean Nicoli

The ship is the Superfast IX, not the Superfast X (Jean Nicoli), although they are twins, I gather.

Marine Atlantic is going to have a contest to choose a new name. Here are some of my suggestions:

Newfoundland Expedition
The Rock Sky
Maritime Renaissance ...

[Mill Bay]

Apr 25, 2008 21:05:29 GMT -8 Neil said:

That article in The Telegram mentions again $101 million for a charter.

If that's the case, people who have complained about the cost of the Northern Adventure should note, that at least after five years, we get to keep the darned thing.

Yeah, but Neil, they get federal funding for their ship, so we can still compain about it too,
cause we're helping to pay for it.

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

www.csmonitor.com/2008/0929/p04s01-woam.html

---

Fuel prices threaten key Canadian lifeline: ferries
Sky-high fuel prices have seen a 30-percent rise in fuel surcharges for the Newfoundland ferry since July 2007.

North Sydney, Nova Scotia - It's mid-afternoon at the Marine Atlantic ferry terminal and long rows of commercial trucks are waiting to drive aboard the MV Caribou, their trailers packed with all the things the Province of Newfoundland & Labrador needs from the rest of North America: groceries, automobile parts, medical supplies, plywood.

But getting anything or anybody on or off the island of Newfoundland – where 95 percent of the province's half million residents live – has become alarmingly expensive. Sky-high fuel prices have triggered one fuel surcharge after another – a cumulative 27.7 percent since July 2007 – on the ferries that serve as the province's lifeline to the rest of the world.

Provincial authorities are angry, with Newfoundland Transport Minister Diane Whalen calling the surcharges "outrageous."

"It's getting harder and harder for many manufacturers to justify sending their products to Newfoundland just because of ferry costs," says Peter Nelson, executive director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association in Dieppe, New Brunswick. "If things keep going this way we'll soon see the $8 head of lettuce in Newfoundland."

In this part of the world, ferries have long been regarded as essential infrastructure, extensions of the railroads and, later, highways, that connect Atlantic Canadians to one another and the wider world. Many communities in Newfoundland – and most in Labrador – are so remote that they are not connected to the provincial road network and people rely on local ferries to get in or out.

Residents of the province of Prince Edward Island can get to the mainland on an 11-year-old bridge, but it costs so much (C$41.50) that many prefer ferries, which are also faster if one is traveling farther east. Nova Scotia is practically an island, and residents of the southwest part of the province rely on ferry links providing vital shortcuts to Maine and New Brunswick.

"We need all the ferries we can get around here," says Harold Theriault, a provincial legislator and retired lobsterman from Digby Neck, Nova Scotia, who says they are essential to the economic livelihood of his region. "We've got a big fishery here, and all our fish and lobsters comes your way [the northeast US]. Every bit of it is trucked, and if we can't take a ferry 30 miles across the Bay of Fundy, then we have to drive it eight hours around."

But high fuel prices are threatening some of the region's ferry links, many of which were privatized more than a decade ago. As costs are passed on to consumers, fewer customers appear to be riding, making critical services inviable without fresh government subsidies.

In August, federal and provincial authorities approved over C$15 million ($14.5 million) in subsidies to rescue the ferry Mr. Theriault's neighbors rely on, a privately operated year-round car ferry linking Digby, N.S., to Saint John, N.B.

Earlier this summer, the Nova Scotia government stepped in with C$4.4 million ($4.26 million) to save the seasonal high-speed service between Yarmouth, N.S., and Portland and Bar Harbor in Maine – an essential means of getting US and Ontario tourists to the region.

"The routes would not be feasible without government assistance," says Donald Cormier, vice president of operations at Bay Ferries, the Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, company that runs all three Nova Scotia services. He says increased fuel prices and a downturn in American travel to Canada had forced both routes into the red.

While the subsidies for the Saint John ferry continue through early 2011, it is not clear if the Maine routes – which have existed in some form for more than 50 years – will resume next year. Mr. Cormier declined to comment, but the company recently announced it would close those seasonal routes eight days early.

Until the late 1990s, most of these routes used to be operated by Marine Atlantic, the government-controlled corporation that operates Newfoundland's lifeline to the Canadian mainland. For nearly a decade, Cormier says, Bay Ferries ran them without public subsidy, saving taxpayers "hundreds of millions."

But now that fuel prices have undermined profitability, some think the government should reclaim routes. "When costs rise and traffic falls, we don't go tear up the bridges and roads," says Mr. Theriault, who adds that propping up a private service will always be a greater political challenge than simply subsidizing a government one. "The best thing that could happen is for Marine Atlantic to take it back under their wing."

A spokesperson for Canada's transport ministry, Maryse Durette, says the government is studying the problem and that "anything is on the table."

But with sky-high diesel prices, even public companies like Marine Atlantic have been unable to provide affordable service, angering Newfoundland officials. They point out that under the 1949 agreement by which Newfoundland joined Canada, the federal government has a constitutional obligation to maintain the service, and that the firm's mission statement promises it will be "reliable, courteous, and cost-effective."

The 110-mile ride from North Sydney to Port aux Basques, N.L., currently costs C$35.75 per passenger, C$101.50 per car, and C$550 for a 75-foot truck, up by almost 30 percent since July 2007.

"The Marine Atlantic service is, in effect, a continuation of the Trans-Canada Highway," says Ms. Whalen, who has asked Ottawa to freeze rates. It "has to be cost efficient in order to make our province an attractive place to do business and competitive with … provinces that don't rely on ferry travel."

Ms. Whalen said that Newfoundland & Labrador's ferry services face the same challenges, but that her government has reduced rates over the past two years.

Marine Atlantic's shareholders – the federal and provincial governments – currently pay for the first C$26 million in fuel each year, and additional costs are passed on to customers, according to company spokesperson Tara Laing. The fuel surcharges reflect the increased costs.

For his part, Mr. Nelson of the regional trucking association argues that the Newfoundland run – essentially a floating bridge – should be free to users. "It's part of the federal highway system," he says. "It should be treated so."

[Neil]

More on the new Atlantic Vision.... definitely looks far nicer inside than anything we have here, including the coming NorEx.
www.marine-atlantic.ca/en/NewVessel/gallery.shtml

[Low Light Mike]

Nice ship indeed. I wonder how many modifications were necessary to convert her from Baltic use to Marine-Atlantic use? (ie. electrical outlets, and other NorAd like issues).

Our Canadian federal gov't funds Marine Atlantic, as part of the ongoing "thank you gift" to Newfoundland for their joining Confederation.

Here in BC, our enduring thank-you-gift for our joining Confederation is the passenger service on the E&N Railway.

So if you feel jealous of Newfoundlander's new federally funded ship, just take a ride on an E&N Budd Car........you'll feel better for it.

[Mill Bay]

This ship has one crazy interior... is this a ferry or a Disney cruise ship? The only picture that looked like it was from a ship was the bridge shot... i wonder if that gallery is actual photos of the interior or just conceptual images designed to wow everybody... hmmmm .

[Neil]

Mill Bay, I think we're just too used to the bland vessels we have here on our coast. From the exposed pipes and wires of the Vs to the doctors waiting room ambience of the Cs through the European minimalism of the Coastals, we've never had anything approaching cruise ferry decor, at least not since the heyday of the CPR and the Union, which no one on this forum was around to enjoy. When I think of you guys doing your northern tour, spending a couple of days on the functional but rather austere Queen of Prince Rupert at the end of October on our rainy coast, with the short daylight hours, I know I'd much rather spend the time on a boat like the Atlantic Vision. I know that opinion probably isn't shared by many, but there it is.

On a crossing like the Sidney - Port aux Basques route, where there's only open ocean to look at, I think most passengers would prefer a fancier boat. The Newfoundlanders are lucky that federal largesse has brought them such a vessel.

[Mill Bay]

Oct 19, 2008 21:35:27 GMT -8 Neil said:

Mill Bay, I think we're just too used to the bland vessels we have here on our coast. From the exposed pipes and wires of the Vs to the doctors waiting room ambience of the Cs through the European minimalism of the Coastals, we've never had anything approaching cruise ferry decor, at least not since the heyday of the CPR and the Union, which no one on this forum was around to enjoy. When I think of you guys doing your northern tour, spending a couple of days on the functional but rather austere Queen of Prince Rupert at the end of October on our rainy coast, with the short daylight hours, I know I'd much rather spend the time on a boat like the Atlantic Vision. I know that opinion probably isn't shared by many, but there it is.

I dunno... I've seen some interior pictures of Princess Marguerite with pretty obvious pipes on the ceilings... of course it was easy enough to focus on the rich wood paneling instead. I suppose you're right, but it also seems a little bit like vanity, ha-ha... I hope the ferry doesn't get to distracted by it's own grandeur and forgets where it's going.

But the interior photos of the Vision even almost seem a little too over the top in terms of flashy interior... you can have beauty without the harsh glare of floodlights and track-lights that make it so bright and so obvious it actually starts to feel more artificial and pretensive as if it lacks something more genuine.

[Mill Bay]

Marine Atlantic has a cruise ship' vision for new passenger

ST. JOHN'S
NADYA BELL

The Telegram

With white table cloths, granite floors, four times as many cabins as the other ferries and a hot tub, Captain Stan Peet says the province's new passenger ferry is sure to impress.

Marine Atlantic's new ferry was officially re-named the Atlantic Vision on Thursday.

You get that real cruise ship feel as you walk around because it's very well-appointed and it's very visually attractive. That was certainly our first impression with the vessel when we first walked on board, Peet said while he conducted a tour of the ship.

The Atlantic Vision recently pulled into port after a transatlantic crossing from its previous operations as a ferry between Estonia, Finland and Germany.

The vessel was built in 2002 in Germany, and has been chartered by Marine Atlantic until 2013. At 203 meters the Atlantic Vision is slightly longer than Marine Atlantic vessels Smallwood and Caribou, and will be able to operate in the same weather conditions.

Lieutenant Governor John Crosbie's wife, Jane Crosbie attended the naming ceremony, and with Danielle Locke, the winner of Marine Atlantic's name the vessel contest, the women officially named the vessel and released the bottle of champagne to smash on the ferry's side.

It's not every day we get to do this, to enhance our fleet and increase our capacity, so this is certainly a proud occasion for everyone at this corporation, said Wayne Follett, president and CEO of Marine Atlantic.

The Atlantic Vision has the capacity to take 531 passenger cars on four vehicle decks, and can take a maximum of 1054 people, including crew.

Sr. Chief Steward Lloyd Ford said they have beds for 662 passengers, so they hope to offer sleeping accommodations on the day as well as night voyages from Port aux Basques during their operations in 2009.

I think we've got enough cabins for everyone. I don't think there'll be a night traveling where you won't get a place to sleep, Ford says.

Deluxe cabins on the top level of the ferry are like a small hotel room with a double bed, window and desk. Marine Atlantic is looking for a private business to operate the spa that is also on the top level, which has a massage table, men's and women's' sauna, and a hot tub.

The hot tub is in a large blue tiled open area with windows to port and starboard and a large domed skylight directly above the pool. Peet says the spa is truly the jewel in the crown of the vessel.

On the passenger deck there is a marble reception desk, granite floors and public Internet access in a tourism kiosk that will be available during the crossing.

The main lounge area is in the fore of the ship, with large wrap-around red plaid sofas that do not have arm rests between the seats.

Wide windows in the lounge look out over the bow, allowing passengers to watch as the ship approaches the destination.

If you're leaving Nova Scotia at four o'clock in the night and you're coming towards Port aux Basques and we get a lovely sunny day coming in you can see the table mountains of Newfoundland, it'll be a real treat for the passengers, Ford says.

Passengers can eat at an all-hours canteen, an all-you-can-eat buffet with white table cloths, or in a formal dining setting with full table service.

We're changing direction, and it's the right direction as far as I'm concerned. Little things like a white table cloth and a napkin, it's the right way to go for our department, Ford says.

Captain Peet says he's not worried about the wine glasses during the often-stormy crossing to Nova Scotia after how the vessel took hurricaneforce winds during the Atlantic crossing.

We were estimating some of the seas to be 12 to 15 metres in height, in the 40 foot range it was quite extreme and the vessel handled it very well, he says.

Commercial vehicle traffic makes up a large portion of Marine Atlantic's business and so the vessel has a separate trucker's lounge and truckers cabins with private televisions.

www.thewesternstar.com/index.cfm?sid=200218&sc=506

Article page has a neat photo of the ship.

[Low Light Mike]

That forward viewing-lounge sounds like an innovative idea.

It will be interesting to follow the news re this ship's 2009 deployment on the Marine-Atlantic run. Will she have "teething problems" on that run?

It will be good for comparisons to our BC Northern service.

[Scott]

Wow... seems a bit over-the-top for Newfoundland;) And I know the view won't be all that interesting for 90% of the voyage... and when they're docking at either end, everyone will probably be already in their cars waiting to get off! But day or two a year that it's not foggy, rainy, or night time, I guess the windows will be appreciated:)

[Starsteward]

If you take a look at the comments registered on the MA web-site, they speak none to highly of MA as a company, however, most bloogers give the new ship a thumbs -up.

[Northern Exploration]

I am not defending Marine Atlantic but does is sound familiar? Local people hating a local necessary service. A very Canadian thing. BC (or at least the vocal minority) hates BC Ferries and they can't do anything right. Newfoundlanders hate Marine Atlantic. Most Canadians claim to hate Air Canada despite the fact they just won best business airline in North America for the upteenth time by people who travel the most. Kinda very canuckish (not in NHL terms either ).

[hhvferry]

First post from a long-time lurker based in Europe

From a European perspective I have to say I find the criticism of the Atlantic Vision a little puzzling. The Superfasts are good, modern ships which have proven very popular over here. Although the markets are slightly different in that there is a fully-fledged mini-cruise market on most of the main North European services, the core demand remains point-to-point transport, and this is particularly so for the Superfast fleet which were originally developed for use between Italy and Greece where it is 100% transport as with Marine Atlantic.

There are more pictures here of this one and her sisters - they are actually very dark and quite under-stated on board, ideal overnight ships although they have been used on day crossings as well:

www.faktaomfartyg.se/superfast_IX_2002_inr_1.htm
www.faktaomfartyg.se/superfast_IX_2002_inr_2.htm
www.faktaomfartyg.se/superfast_VII_2001_inr_1.htm
www.faktaomfartyg.se/superfast_VII_2001_inr_2.htm

Back in 2006 myself and a couple of friends came to Canada to sail on a lot of the ferries all over the country and whilst CTMA and BCF were all good if rather different in style compared to what we were used to, the ships of Marine Atlantic, despite being relatively new, were in really appalling condition and offered a very basic service. The Atlantic Vision is going to be a big, big step up for them. But you wouldn't accept the kind of standards from the Caribou or the Smallwood on land at a motel so why should it be expected on an overnight or a day crossing at sea?

The Atlantic Vision is what people should expect - just because things have been so poor in the past doesn't mean that they shouldn't aspire to excellence in the future. If people going to countries like Greece, Estonia, Tunisia or Algeria, never mind all the more fully developed European countries, expect and are given high-quality ferries, why should Canada lag 15 or 20 years behind in style of service and quality of ship?

Apologies if this is slightly provocative for a first post

Matt

[Low Light Mike]

Dec 14, 2008 8:02:32 GMT -8 hhvferry said:

Apologies if this is slightly provocative for a first post

Matt

No worries, thanks for an excellent post. I appreciate your level of detail and explanations to support your points.

You're correct about it being a different market here. On the British Columbia coast, ferries with a disco, spa, etc would appear very strange to many people. I think that's because it's not what we're used to here, and so we don't expect or consider the need to use those amenities on a ferry.

For us on the BC Coast, our main overnight route is a winter route between somewhat remote communities. So it's not an upscale market demographic.

To me, Tallinn to Stockholm would be a much different demographic from what we have on the British Columbia coast.

Matt: keep posting your view here, to keep us BCers aware of what Europe is doing.

[Neil]

I agree with hhvferry- we can use a little more style in our ferries in Canada. With regard to John's remarks, perhaps the fact that the Sydney - Port aux Basques route is just plain ocean for most of the crossing is all the more reason to have a more aesthetically pleasing ship, with better amenities.

Maybe the reason we never complained about our plain old Vs with all the exposed pipes, ducts, and wiring was that the crossing was so spectacular. We were always outside, or looking out the windows.

[blackshadow]

I just received this by email this morning.

"Marine Atlantic's newest ferry is being assessed for damage after a weekend fire. The fire broke out in a heating unit late Saturday night when the vessel was tied up in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. The Atlantic Vision was expected to go into service in March but that could be delayed. "

[blackshadow]

More on the fire aboard the Atlantic Vision

news.sympatico.msn.cbc.ca/Local/NFLD/ContentPosting?newsitemid=stjohns-nl-ferry-fire&feedname=CBC_LOCALNEWS&show=False&number=0&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=True



Marine Atlantic investigates blaze aboard newest ferry

Marine Atlantic is investigating the cause of a fire that broke out aboard its new ferry over the weekend. The MV Atlantic Vision, which is not yet in service, is the Crown corporation's newest vessel.

29/12/2008 1:57:19 PM

CBC News

The MV Atlantic Vision, which is not yet in service, is the Crown corporation's newest vessel.

Tara Laing, spokeswoman for Marine Atlantic, said the fire broke out in one of the two thermal heating units of the MV Atlantic Vision at about 11:50 p.m. Saturday. Staff immediately called for help, she said.

Firefighters from the North Sydney volunteer fire department, who battled the blaze for about an hour, helped contain the fire to the boiler room.

The fire was completely out by 1 a.m. Sunday. No one was hurt in the blaze. The ferry was docked in North Sydney at the time.

"The cause and how long it will take for repairs to be effected are still under investigation" Laing told CBC News on Monday.

"We should know that information once that investigation is complete," she said.

The MV Atlantic Vision was expected to go into service in March but that could be delayed. Marine Atlantic engineers were assessing the damage to the new vessel.