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Post by Low Light Mike on Mar 18, 2008 6:43:50 GMT -8
Here's a news story on a fuel-charge fare-increase for a Nova Scotia ferry co: =============== tinyurl.com/2p4cmeBY DAVID HENCH Blethen Maine Newspapers After months of slowing down its boats to save energy, Casco Bay Lines now is planning to add a 50-cent surcharge on all tickets to cover diesel fuel prices that have spiked to record level. "As a percentage of the budget, fuel costs have just mushroomed," said Nicholas Mavadones, operations manger for the ferry lines that serves the major islands of Casco Bay. The ferry line will hold hearings Thursday and Friday morning on the fuel surcharge, which would take effect April 20 to have summer tourists bear a bigger share of the cost. The ferry line's decision is just the latest reaction by the transportation sector to sharp increases in fuel prices. Bay Ferries, which operates the CAT between Portland and Nova Scotia has added a $25 fuel charge to transport vehicles and several major airlines have added fuel charges, particularly for overseas travel. Bus companies and taxis have typically included the higher fuel costs in their rate structure, said Portland Transportation Director Jeff Monroe. The rationale behind imposing a fuel surcharge is that it easier to implement and it is easier to repeal if costs fall back, Monroe said. Diesel prices have climbed above $4 nationally, compared to $2.78 just a year ago, according to AAA. The ferry line, which uses 230,000 gallons of fuel per year, projects a $259,000 shortfall without the surcharge. The Casco Bay Line's finance and rate structure committees recommended the fuel surcharge. "Living on an island, you have to ride, and the fuel is killing us, but I think it's killing people on mainland as well," said Richard Franz, vice president of the Casco Bay island Transit District's board of directors. "We're hoping to do it as soon as possible so it will capture the majority of the summer tourists who use the boats as well as year round residents." "It is a price increase, but I understand the Casco Bay ferries has to maintain their financial viability," said Bob Clark, who frequently takes the ferry back and forth from Peaks Island. "They need to do what they need to do to account for their fuel prices." The surcharge will make rates to Peaks Island rise to $7.75 and to Cliff, $11.50. "I don't know what we're going to do. It's not just the ferry that's affected" by rising fuel prices, said Norcross, who rides the ferry about three times a week and was returning from Portland on Monday after taking her dog Clover to the veterinarian. "I think the citizens ought to go on strike," as a way to force oil companies to lower prices, she said. "It is a price increase, but I understand the Casco Bay ferries has to maintain their financial viability," said Bob Clark, who frequently takes the ferry back and forth from Peaks Island. "They need to do what they need to do to account for their fuel prices." The surcharge will make rates to Peaks Island rise to $7.75 and to Cliff, $11.50. Casco Bay Lines has been trying for many months to cut fuel usage by powering down ferry engines. Running the large ferries at a third less power cuts fuel consumption in half and adds only a couple minutes to the Peaks to Portland run, Mavadones said. Senior Capt. Paul Frager said he suggested using software to reduce the maximum speed of the engines and the company did -- saving $6,000 per month. But captains found the boats lost maneuverability, which could be dangerous near the docks, Frager said. The company eventually removed the engine speed restrictions on the two ferries most affected by the lost maneuverability, the Machigonne II and Maquoit III, but left the restrictions in place for the Aucocisco. Frager said the boats will continue to be operated at the most efficient speeds that the schedule will allow. Running at lower speeds on his night-time run to Peaks on the Aucocisco adds two minutes, 20 seconds to the trip, he said, but cuts fuel usage from 12 gallons per hour for each of the two engines at full throttle to five gallons per hour for each. "Not a single passenger has noticed or complained about it," Frager said. "Islanders need a break on their ticket prices somewhere. If we can provide it great." The hearings are scheduled for 7:45 a.m. Thursday and Friday at the Casco Bay Lines Ferry Terminal Conference Room. ================================= |
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D'Elete BC in NJ
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Post by D'Elete BC in NJ on Mar 19, 2008 8:45:31 GMT -8
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Mill Bay
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Post by Mill Bay on Jun 16, 2008 22:22:32 GMT -8
New provincial ferries
Longer wait for some south coast communities
NATALIE MUSSEAU
The Gulf News
The province is spending $50.5 million to bring two brand new ferries into service by 2010 and more are coming.
However, communities along the south coast will wait a few more years to see upgraded vessels.
Contracts for the construction of two intra-provincial ferries were awarded to Peter Kiewit Sons of Marystown last week.
The first new vessel is destined for St. Brendan's, while the second will serve the Long Island-Little Bay Islands service. The two new vessels replace three older ferries - MV Inch Arran (45-years-old), MV Island Joiner (35) and MV Hamilton Sound (40).
It will likely be three years or more before isolated communities like La Poile, Grand Bruit, Grey River and Francois see new vessels.
Those communities are currently served by Marine Coaster and the Marine Voyager - two of the oldest ferries anywhere in the province at 45- and 44-years-old respectively.
Government contracts out the ferry services for these communities from Puddister Trading Company. Current contracts are set to expire in 2009.
A 2006 consultant's study of the province ferry system suggested all ferry services be operated by a single party, most likely the province, in the future. It also suggested that the south coast service undergo significant changes to routing and scheduling of vessels.
An official with the transportation department confirmed the service is being reviewed and a plan for its future should be in place by this fall.
The department spokesperson added the pending decision on the resettlement of Grand Bruit is not expected to have any major impacts to the service configuration.
Meanwhile, the south coast communities will continue with the status quo.
Despite complaints that there are no suitable vessels available to be used when the regular ferries must go for refit or have mechanical issues, the vessels being replaced by the new ferries are destined for disposal and won't be made available as replacement ferries.
More coming
The province also announced two more new ferries are now in the works.
An advanced order for $2 million in propulsion systems for a third medium-sized ferry, anticipated to be in service by mid-2011, will soon be placed.
Also, the province will soon look for consultants to design a fourth, large-sized ferry.
New ferries
Each ferry will measure 42 metres in length and accommodate 16 cars and 80 passengers. The first delivery to the province is scheduled for the end of 2009 and the second in spring 2010.
Approximately 25 per cent of the labour will be sub-contracted to Clarenville Drydock Ltd.
Each ferry will have roll-on, roll-off capability with enclosed bows, enabling traffic to exit and enter through the bow and stern. The vessels will be made with heavier steel and framing so they are ice strengthened for harsh environments.
As per recent government policy, each ferry will be equipped with Voyage Data Recorders and Automatic Identification Systems. The vessels will also have an elevator to assist those with accessibility issues.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 9, 2008 19:48:41 GMT -8
Here's a news story from Bay of Fundy. The issues are quite similar to what we face in BC. telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/article/379025============ The Digby ferry should be a public service August 9th, 2008 The Saint John-Digby ferry is a critically important Maritime transportation link. It connects us with our Nova Scotia neighbours in ways that benefit both of our provinces. It enables families and friends to stay connected, provides tourists, truckers and other travellers with a refreshing and enjoyable break from driving, generates income for a lot of Maritimers and reduces the environmental and economic costs of the greenhouse gases and other pollutants that cars and other motor vehicles spew into the atmosphere. But the price of travelling on the Princess of Acadia has increased so much that for many travellers this short saltwater voyage is now an unaffordable luxury. The cost of crossing on the ferry has forced many people to change or cancel travel plans while others waste time and fuel in a five or six hour drive around the Bay of Fundy. Two years ago the present operators of the Princess, a private company called Bay Ferries (which also operates vessels connecting Nova Scotia and P.E.I. and the high speed ferry that links Bar Harbor and Yarmouth) provoked a crisis by threatening to cancel the run between Saint John and Digby. Claiming it was squeezed by high operating costs and declining ticket sales, Bay Ferries gave New Brunswick and Nova Scotia a deadline and an ultimatum: give us money or we'll stop running the boat. People on both sides of the bay panicked. Emergency meetings were held, the crew of the Princess appealed to government and the public to save their jobs, news articles quoted those who would lose time and money and family members who would be separated if the company made good on its threats. In the end government blinked and gave in to the company's demands. The federal government and those of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia put up a combined total of $8 million, Bay Ferries got its way, and the travelling public and the communities that depend on them breathed a sigh of relief on learning that at least the service would continue. But keeping the ferry in service didn't deal with the underlying problem of high fares, which Bay Ferries sought to justify by ordering a major cosmetic makeover of the vessel. Over the next winter the lounges, café and other passenger areas of the Princess were gussied up in an effort to make them more attractive to the class of travellers the management of Bay Ferries obviously prefers - those with expensive tastes and the spare change to indulge those tastes. After the makeover Bay Ferries put out the word that the Princess of Acadia no longer had the dismal look of a floating truck stop or a clunky seagoing bus. Now she was equipped with flashy casino style furnishings and other embellishments geared to the well-healed folks Bay Ferries prefers to haul - motorists who can shell out $140 plus $40 for each passenger they carry on a one-way summer crossing, and motorcyclists who pay $90 for a one-way ride despite the small deck space their vehicles occupy. Even foot passengers and bicyclists are forced to pay through the nose - their one-way ticket to ride the Princess costs them $40 and $50 respectively. For their part, travel trailers and truckers are paying hefty one-way fares that range from $290 to more than $500. (In addition to the fares noted here all motor vehicle drivers must shell out more in fuel surcharges - these are $20 for passenger vehicles and $50 for commercial vehicles.) Not counting the fuel surcharges, over the past five or six years the price of the three-hour crossing to Digby has nearly doubled. For decades the federal government operated the Princess and throughout those years the cost of travelling on the ferry was kept quite reasonable. Privatizing the Princess has made the crossing unaffordable for the kinds of folks who used the ferry regularly or occasionally in the past, and, despite its fancy furnishings, many potential passengers are still skipping the ship and its high fares. We all know that the price of gas has jumped enormously in recent years. But big as this jump in fuel costs has been, it can't explain or justify the outrageous prices Bay Ferries sets for the use of its privatized "service". Ticket sales are still down, and as motorists continue to opt for driving around the Bay of Fundy, many tons of pollutants and greenhouse gases are being dumped needlessly into the air. We should take a close look at where the money travellers are paying to ride the Princess is going under Bay Ferries' management. Just like our highways, the Digby ferry is an essential service for Maritimers and for the tourists and commercial travellers who are a critical component of our regional economy. The ferry should be treated like a highway. It should be operated as a service to the travelling public, run by the federal government on a strictly non-profit basis, and provided with the necessary funding to assure that it offers a safe, reliable and affordable ride. The Digby ferry story should be a wake-up call. It's a prime example of what happens when vital public services are transformed into cash cows for predatory private interests. The people of Canada - who are the legal owners of the Princess of Acadia - should reclaim the fine old ferry and operate her in the interests of travellers who need an affordable and environmentally responsible way to reduce travel time and fuel consumption when they cross the bay. And the lessons to be learned from the Bay Ferries experience should encourage decision makers in Ottawa, Halifax and Fredericton to refurbish and protect the old fashioned ideal of providing first-class public services at a cost the public can afford. Larry Lack is a resident of St. Andrews ============================= |
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Post by Northern Exploration on Nov 25, 2008 6:33:21 GMT -8
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has determined that the idea of fast ferries in Lake Ontario to augment transit is not cost effective. The aiticle goes on to say that the speed of the ferries is not enough to substantially beat the GO Train or even the TTC land routes. The costs are outlined in the article and more in line with subway costs rather than above ground routes. The report is being passed "up" to Metrolinx and Go Transit because cross Lake or longer distance travel may prove to be a better bet. This is outside the purview of the TTC which operates within Toronto proper. For example St. Catharines to Toronto. The cost of housing has caused a real boon to real estate further and further out of the city and commute times have grown. The radio quoted a transit expert this morning that the roads in Toronto move a lot of people very quickly compared to other cities and it is hard to beat transit times. Of course everyone here complains bitterly about traffic, and it seems to get worse every year. www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/542824 |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 18, 2008 17:48:36 GMT -8
Here's a news column re the Yarmouth-Maine "Cat": www.workingwaterfront.com/online-exclusives/Parallel-44/12743/================== Column Parallel 44 by Colin Woodard Bleak future for The Cat Last month, The Cat made her last trips from Maine to Nova Scotia before packing it up for the season. There's plenty of reason to fear the high-speed catamaran won't be back next year. Our region's long-haul ferries had a brutal season. Battered by sky-high fuel prices and a downturn in U.S. travel to Canada, the private-sector car ferries that bridge the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy are on government life support, while prices have soared on the government-run services that connect Newfoundland to the rest of the continent. In August, federal and provincial authorities approved over $15 million Canadian in subsidies to rescue the year-around ferry service connecting Digby, N.S. to Saint John, N.B. The service, which is operated by The Cat's owners, Bay Ferries Ltd., is considered essential infrastructure by the people of Southwestern Nova Scotia. Marine Atlantic, the public corporation that connects Newfoundland to Nova Scotia, has imposed fuel surcharges totaling 27.7 percent since July 2007, triggering condemnation from provincial officials. But The Cat has been hit hardest, on account of both its thirst (it consumes over 1,300 gallons an hour) and its dependence on Canada-bound U.S. tourists (who are rarer now than at any time since record-keeping began 36 years ago.) The vessel barely made it through the season. Passenger counts from Portland were off by 17.5 percent in June, compared to the previous year, and 15.5 percent in July, according to city statistics. Demand on the Bar Harbor to Yarmouth route (which The Cat made three to four days a week) had also softened, while diesel prices had doubled. In early July, The Cat's owners were going to pull the plug until the government of Nova Scotia stepped in with $4.4 million in emergency subsidies. Just seven weeks later, Bay Ferries cancelled two trips a week to Portland and Bar Harbor and announced it would end its season eight days early. "Both routes would not have been feasible without some government assistance," says Don Cormier, vice president of operations at Bay Ferries, which is based in Charlottetown, P.E.I. "Discussing next season calls for a lot of speculation that I'm not going to do." "The government didn't want to see the service stop in the middle of the season, all of a sudden," says Tom Peck, director of communications at the Nova Scotia Ministry of Economic Development in Halifax. "I don't think there's anything being committed beyond what's already been done." Like other high-speed ferries around the world, The Cat has become an endangered animal. With sky-high diesel prices, sending 250 cars, 900 people, and a 6,500-ton ship hurtling across the Gulf of Maine at speeds in excess of 50 miles an hour may be an idea whose time has passed. "One of the big problems all high speed ferries are facing today is that their business plans weren't designed for the kind of fuel prices they are seeing at the moment," says Christopher Wright, president of Mariport Group Ltd., a passenger ferry consultancy based in Digby, N.S. with clients worldwide. "It's certainly not the world it was when fast ferries started." Wright notes that fast ferry service developed in the 1990s, a time when inflation-adjusted fuel prices were depressed. Facing challenges from low-cost air carriers, ferry companies introduced high-speed vessels on many routes, including wave-piercing catamarans like The Cat, built by the Tasmanian company Incat. When Bay Ferries first came to Maine in 1997, diesel cost 80 cents a gallon, and ticket prices have risen with the price of oil. This summer a round-trip ticket between Portland and Yarmouth for two adults and a small car set one back $764 including fees, surcharges, and a round-trip discount. Demand softened, made worse by a weak U.S. dollar and public confusion over new passport requirements to re-enter the country. The Cat is hardly alone. Ferry operators worldwide have been scaling back fast-ferry operations in recent years, replacing some with conventional ferries and raising prices on the others. In recent years Stena Lines has axed one of three daily fast-ferry trips across the Irish Sea and slowed travel speeds on others. This May, fuel costs prompted SuperFast Ferries to cancel its Scotland to Belgium service, and DFDS Seaways to cut three UK routes. "Higher fuel prices have been hitting harder on the fast ones than on the conventional ferries," says Jesper Waltersson, communications manager at Stena Line headquarters in Göteborg, Sweden, who says the long-haul routes tend to be particularly challenging for fast ferries. On the Portland to Yarmouth route, some believe many customers may also have preferred the spacious, leisurely trip on the old Scotia Prince (which took 11 hours) to the airline-like experience on The Cat (which takes only 6.) "We talked to a lot of people from the U.S. who have family homes in Nova Scotia and they all said how much they regretted the loss of the Scotia Prince," says Mr. Wright of Mariport. "They enjoyed the experience. There seemed to be a cultural aspect where, on their first voyage of the season, they met their old friends and had a drink and when they got to Yarmouth they were on vacation. We didn't have people expressing the same thing about The Cat." "The Scotia Prince was set up as a sort of entertainment ship, with casinos and shows on board," notes Mr. Peck. "The trip itself could be an experience, whereas The Cat just gets you there fast." Barring a radical slump in fuel prices, keeping The Cat running to Maine will likely require more government assistance. It may not be forthcoming. Using taxpayer money to prop up a private, for-profit enterprise has its political challenges, even in Canada, which is one of the reasons some Canadian officials would like to see Bay Ferries' Saint John-Digby service re-nationalized. "Any time a private company find it a little hard, they're gonna shut things down and then we have to have this big fight around here to try to save it," says Harold Theriault, who represents the Digby area in the Nova Scotia legislature. "I don't think it would be so controversial if it were under the government." Unfortunately, The Cat's seasonal routes to Maine, while important, may not have as compelling a case for government intervention. Asked if The Cat was considered essential service, Maryse Durette, a spokesperson for Transport Canada in Ottawa reiterated the central tenants of the 1995 National Marine Policy: "that the government should continue to support ferry services that have a constitutional guarantee" - i.e., those to Newfoundland - "and commercialize all other ferry services." Peck said there were no active discussions about additional subsidies from Nova Scotia, and John Richardson, Maine's commissioner for Economic and Community Development, has indicated that the ferry is a low priority, given the state's other needs. Don Cormier, at Bay Ferries, declined to speculate on future assistance. Losing the ferry service would be have serious economic consequences on both sides of the Gulf of Maine, as it represents a primary conduit for tourists bound for Nova Scotia, some of whom break their journey in Portland or Bar Harbor. But it's the taxpayers of Portland who may take the biggest hit. Because the city's new $21 million Ocean Gateway Terminal was built without a deepwater berth, medium and large cruise ships cannot tie up there, and The Cat is essentially its only customer. The terminal already was already running at least a $300,000 a year loss, once both operational and construction debt payments were accounted for, according to figures provided by city spokesperson Nicole Clegg. If The Cat were to leave-something it can do at any time under its lease agreement-city taxpayers would be out another $100,000 annually. Of course anything can happen. Maybe someone will buy the old Scotia Prince and bring her home to Portland. She's in the Mediterranean now, running passengers from Spain to Tunisia, but she's available for lease or sale starting this month, if anyone's interested. ------ Colin Woodard is an award-winning journalist and author of The Lobster Coast, The Republic of Pirates, and Ocean's End. For more about his work: www.colinwoodard.com============ |
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Post by Northern Exploration on Dec 19, 2008 7:12:48 GMT -8
Dad and Mom have been on the CAT on a round trip from Baaah Haabar (Bar Harbor to us none locals). They missed being outside and the tiny aft deck was subject to smokers and crowded. Some people get sea sick due to the unique motion experienced. They went as footies and just walked around Yarmouth before boarding for the return trip. It is not a trip they said they would repeat. They tend to go to Bar Harbour for 5 days or so at a time so would never take the ferry up to Nova Scotia as part of a trip. According to them "if we were going to Nova Scotia we wouldn't also go to Maine." The service is very geared to Americans from the Eastern Seaboard going north to Nova Scotia. The amount of Americans who have houses in PEI, NB and NS is quite large. This is especially true for the coastal area. But I imagine if you can afford the properties you can afford to fly.
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D'Elete BC in NJ
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Post by D'Elete BC in NJ on Dec 30, 2008 8:15:49 GMT -8
www.novanewsnow.com/article-287199-Ferry-heavily-damaged-by-rocks.html
Ferry heavily damaged by rocksCable ferry a year out of service, headed for refit Hopes have faded for salvaging the New Brunswick cable ferry ashore on rocks near Tiverton. The ferry ‘William Pitt’ broke its tow in 20 to 25-knot winds late Dec. 18 as it was being taken to Meteghan River for a refit at the A.F. Theriault and Son shipyard. A member of Coast Guard Station Westport said this morning that the ferry has since been too heavily damaged to repair. Fishermen have turned in lifejackets found floating in nearby waters, and there has also been some souvenir hunting aboard the beached vessel, said the coast guard officer. The 18-car cable ferry is owned by the New Brunswick Department of Transportation, and was withdrawn from service in late 2007 when the ferry ‘William Pitt II’ replaced it. The ferry was being towed to Meteghan River by a Dominion Diving tugboat based in Dartmouth, when the line connecting the boats snapped. A crewmember was dropped onto the ferry and restored the line, but was unable to get back on tug. The Coast Guard Westport was called for assistance and lifted the crewman from the ferry, and the tugboat continued its tow. However, the William Pitt ran aground in the strong winds and damaged its hull. Before being replaced in service, the cable ferry had plied the Kennebecasis River between Gondola Point and the Kingston Peninsula.
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D'Elete BC in NJ
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Post by D'Elete BC in NJ on Dec 30, 2008 8:40:49 GMT -8
A couple of older stories, but interesting, none the less: www.novanewsnow.com/article-i277820-Theriault-wants-Gateway-money-for-ferry.html
Theriault wants Gateway money for ferryNova Scotia’s government should secure long-term funding for the Digby ferry service from the federal Atlantic Gateway initiative, says Liberal MLA Harold Theriault. In a statement today, the Digby-Annapolis MLA said the Atlantic Gateway is planning to expand and build infrastructure for moving goods and people to and from the province. “This ferry service is a major highway route and should receive funding as part of the Gateway project. The provincial government must include this ferry route as part of the initiative for the future growth of Nova Scotia.” He said the economic foundation in southwestern Nova Scotia has been eroded by uncertainty around the ferry, which directly employs 130 people and generates roughly $40 million a year for the province’s economy. “This is a chance for the Digby area and the western part of the province to build up business and make this ferry a more viable piece of infrastructure,” Theriault said. “Whether it is people or products, we need to rely on this ferry in order to reach important markets in Upper Canada and the United States.”
www.novanewsnow.com/article-i283056-No-change-for-ferrys-fuel-surcharge.html
No change for ferry’s fuel surchargeBay Ferries won’t follow the lead of Marine Atlantic, which cut its fuel surcharge on fares from 25.4 per cent to nine per cent on Wednesday.The Crown coporation operates ferry service between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Don Cormier, vice-president of Bay Ferries, said today that the fuel surcharge on the Bay of Fundy service never rose like Marine Atlantic’s, which “basically doubled or tripled this summer.” The fuel surcharge on the ferry ‘Princess of Acadia’ between Digby and Saint John, N.B., is $25 for passenger vehicles and $50 for commercial trucks. Bay Ferries established the surcharge in 2003 when fuel was selling for about 32 cents a litre, said Cormier. It now sells for about 70 cents. “That’s still high, but it feels better after the uncontrolled costs,” he said. Cormier said Bay Ferries was able to avoid hiking its fuel surcharge by trimming costs on some trips and focusing on increasing traffic. Truck traffic this year was up 13 per cent, he said. The extended federal and provincial funding support announced Aug. 1 is based on the company’s expected operating costs “and we’re meeting those,” he said. The ‘Princess of Acadia’ will be out of service sometime in late March or early April, Cormier said. It will be sent to drydock for vessel upgrades. Work is likely to be done in shipyards in Halifax, St. John’s, Nfld., or Quebec. The Irving yard across the Bay of Fundy no longer has a drydock. |
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Mill Bay
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Post by Mill Bay on Jan 23, 2009 11:27:08 GMT -8
'Cat' gets $12 million
Province sinks funds into high-speed ferry to keep it running to Maine
By DAVID JACKSON Provincial Reporter
The province will help keep the Cat ferry alive this year with up to $12 million in assistance for Bay Ferries Ltd.
Economic and Rural Development Minister Murray Scott said that the high-speed service between Yarmouth and Maine couldn’t continue without the province’s help.
Mr. Scott said the number of American tourists is down in the past couple of years, but travellers on the Cat are still important to the economy of southwest Nova Scotia.
"It’s a vital link into the province and we want to ensure that it continues this year," Mr. Scott said Thursday.
Mr. Scott said Bay Ferries’ projected losses of $8 million to $9 million for 2009, so the province went with a $12-million cap to cover fluctuations in the value of the dollar, fuel costs and the number of customers.
Bay Ferries president Mark MacDonald said there’s a lot of uncertainty about how problems in the economy and new passport requirements for border crossings that take effect June 1 will affect the Cat’s business, so that’s why the company asked for help before the sailing season even starts.
"We have a sense of the economics of the service, obviously, and need to know in advance . . . that our losses we sustain in the service, which we project, will be covered," Mr. MacDonald said.
The Cat’s 2009 schedule runs from May 31 to Oct. 12. There’s service between Yarmouth and Portland, about a 5½-hour crossing, and Yarmouth and Bar Harbor, which takes about three hours, according to Bay Ferries’ website.
Mr. MacDonald said he hopes to get a break on fuel costs this year. Those costs affect the business two ways, he said: the direct impact of buying fuel for the ferry and high gas prices that make people less likely to travel and use the Cat.
There were about 85,000 customers in 2008, down from about 150,000 in 2003. A major reason for the decline was the addition of the Portland crossing in 2006, Mr. MacDonald said.
He explained that the ferry was able to do two round trips on the shorter Bar Harbor route, but adding the longer Portland crossing cut the schedule to one round trip per day.
Mr. MacDonald said fewer crossings meant fewer passengers.
He said Bay Ferries isn’t considering dropping Portland from the schedule, because it’s closer to Boston, the main population base in New England.
He said the company isn’t increasing fares this year and wants to offer specials to attract customers. Mr. MacDonald also said there isn’t much room to cut staff.
Bay Ferries employs about 100 people in Yarmouth, with most of the jobs seasonal, he said.
Ken Wheelans, president of the Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce, said he’s glad the province will keep the Cat running, but he thinks the government should insist the ferry stay overnight in Yarmouth, not Maine.
"It’s our tax dollars that are going to support that service, and the Yarmouth-area hotels and restaurants should get some benefit from that," he said.
Opposition MLAs said the province has little choice but to support Bay Ferries because of the importance of the link with the United States.
"I’m not saying that this should be the last bit of help that this vital link gets but by the same token, $12 million is a lot of money and we have to make sure that there is scrutiny in relationship to where it’s going," said Clarrie MacKinnon, the NDP’s economic development critic.
Last July, the province committed $4.4 million to keep the Cat running for 2008. In 2007, the province committed $2.5 million over two years for the ferry.
Liberal MLA Harold (Junior) Theriault said the federal government should be stepping in since the service involves an international route.
"There they are unloading it on a poor province like Nova Scotia," he said.
Ottawa has put aside up to $1 million for a study on transportation needs in southwest Nova Scotia. Mr. Scott said he hopes the research will be done this summer.
The provincial and federal governments have also bailed out Bay Ferries’ service between Digby and Saint John. Since 2006, Ottawa, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have pitched in a total of $23 million to keep it running until Jan. 31, 2011.
On Tuesday, the province announced a $2-million investment to help re-establish air service at the Yarmouth airport.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jan 23, 2009 14:39:11 GMT -8
From Mill Bay's post:
The province (of Nova Scotia) will help keep the Cat ferry alive this year with up to $12 million in assistance for Bay Ferries Ltd.
Economic and Rural Development Minister Murray Scott said that the high-speed service between Yarmouth and Maine couldn’t continue without the province’s help.
"It’s a vital link into the province and we want to ensure that it continues this year," Mr. Scott said Thursday.
Mr. Scott said Bay Ferries’ projected losses of $8 million to $9 million for 2009, so the province went with a $12-million cap to cover fluctuations in the value of the dollar, fuel costs and the number of customers.
There were about 85,000 customers in 2008, down from about 150,000 in 2003. A major reason for the decline was the addition of the Portland crossing in 2006, Mr. MacDonald said.
There's a rather amazing comparison here, if the figures in this story are correct.
The Province of BC gives BC Ferries a subsidy of around $150 million a year, which works out to a little more than seven dollars per customer.
Nova Scotia will be subsidizing each customer on the 'Cat' to the tune of $150. Each.
Another example of how our government gets away dirt cheap with our ferry system, relatively speaking.
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Post by landlocked on Jan 23, 2009 16:35:58 GMT -8
Neil,
Before you get too carried away throwing around numbers, don't forget, that's one run only.
The last time I did the mid-coast and northern runs, I was coming up with subsidies in the order of $330 per passenger. Talk about subsidization!
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jan 23, 2009 19:42:44 GMT -8
The last time I did the mid-coast and northern runs, I was coming up with subsidies in the order of $330 per passenger. Talk about subsidization! That may be, but system wide, the subsidy per passenger is only about seven dollars. Another comparison is the Alaska system- a subsidy in the range of $135 million, and only 400,000 passengers carried. For $15 million more, we carry fifty times the passengers. Despite what Kevin Falcon and Gordon Campbell might say, I maintain we get an excellent return for the subsidy we invest. The central and north coast have always been heavily subsidized, going back long before BC Ferries ever existed, because they involve 'lifeline' services- I'm not sure such an argument can be made for the massive aid to the operators of the 'Cat' in Nova Scotia. |
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Mill Bay
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Post by Mill Bay on Jan 23, 2009 20:18:49 GMT -8
My assessment of this was, just look at how much money it takes to operate one CAT, and we were trying to do it with three. Maybe when there's just one, it's still more akin to a novelty, or a specialty service of some sort, so the government is more inclined to pitch in and help out with funding a service that's 'unique', as opposed to something that's a class of three. Although, they probably didn't bankrupt there system building a whole class of ships before they had even been proven in service, either. I'm also wondering if the fact that it is an international run might have put some extra pressures on the government of Nova Scotia to help fund the operating costs of the fast ferry.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jan 24, 2009 0:10:20 GMT -8
Different governments certainly have different philosophies toward ferry operations. When the BC government decided to stop operating or working to find an operator to run a subsidized international car ferry service between Victoria and Seattle, they based their decision primarily on the cost of operating the route. Representations from business and tourist operations pointing out the ancillary benefits of the route were given short shrift. As with our decision to build ferries in Germany, the only important factor was the bottom line cost of the venture itself.
The Nova Scotia government, on the other hand, has apparently taken into account all the employment around the ferry service, along with short and long term tourist concerns, and has decided to invest what seems at first glance to be a rather extravagant per passenger subsidy to a ferry that doesn't even tie up at night on the Canadian side of the border. Is it all worth the $12 million? I don't know- but I sure as hell wish we had taken a little broader view of things when we decided to axe our own international service.
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Post by Northern Exploration on Jan 24, 2009 7:51:29 GMT -8
The last time I did the mid-coast and northern runs, I was coming up with subsidies in the order of $330 per passenger. Talk about subsidization! That may be, but system wide, the subsidy per passenger is only about seven dollars. Another comparison is the Alaska system- a subsidy in the range of $135 million, and only 400,000 passengers carried. For $15 million more, we carry fifty times the passengers. Despite what Kevin Falcon and Gordon Campbell might say, I maintain we get an excellent return for the subsidy we invest. The central and north coast have always been heavily subsidized, going back long before BC Ferries ever existed, because they involve 'lifeline' services- I'm not sure such an argument can be made for the massive aid to the operators of the 'Cat' in Nova Scotia. I agree that the CAT is in no way a lifeline service. There are good roads and easy access to Yarmouth. It is in no way the only way for people in that area to get around reasonably. No one takes the CAT for doctors appointments, to get their supplies, to travel anywhere. It is 90% or more a tourist operation. There are green minor points to be pointed out that it is taking cars off the road and saving fuel than people driving the long way around (if they would drive and ignoring the fact that now they are driving around NS). I however don't share the opinion of the subsidy as being well spent. The economic spin off for this service is shakey to say the least. My opinion is that money would be better spent on an area that would generate ongoing return for the investment instead of propping up a service that will be a money pit for a long time. Sure some tourist operations in Yarmouth benefit and then people travel to other parts of NS. But $14 million in a job/small business incubator for the area would likely yield much better and ongoing results. |
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Post by Cat320DL on Feb 5, 2009 15:10:37 GMT -8
Pitt retrofit depends on assessment
The William Pitt cable ferry, which runs between Gondola Point and the Kingston Peninsula, has been salvaged from a remote shore where it ran aground in Nova Scotia and is being checked out before the government decides whether to fix it up or let it go.
Enlarge Photo Peter Walsh/Telegraph-JournalA ferry plies the Kennebecasis River between the Kingston Peninsula and Gondola Point. The William Pitt ferry has been rescued after running aground in Nova Scotia. The Pitt had been headed to Nova Scotia for a retrofit when high winds cast it adrift. On Dec. 19 the ferry was being towed to a repair shop in Meteghan, N.S., for a routine retrofit and engine replacement when high winds caused the line to snap.
A crew member jumped on board the ferry and was able to reconnect the line but could not get back on the tug and had to be rescued.
Conditions worsened and the ferry ran aground and had to be released.
It has been stranded on the shore of Tiverton, N.S., for more than a month.
Andrew Holland, spokesman for the provincial Department of Transportation, said the department received advice from a marine design consultant that the ferry could be salvaged. Based on that evaluation, the department decided to patch it up and take it to Meteghan for a full evaluation.
Hollands said the rescue was dependent on tides, winds and weather conditions. He said the ferry was in a location so remote crews had to build a road to get supplies there.
On Wednesday, crews filled holes in the ferry's hull with Styrofoam so it would float.
Holland said the weather was good on Wednesday and when the tide came in the ferry was connected to a tugboat and made the 30-kilometre journey to Meteghan.
The William Pitt is undergoing a structural assessment at the A. F. Theriault shipyard.
Holland said the department expects to receive the assessment in the next few weeks and will decide what to do when it knows the extent of the damage.
The retrofit was to include repairs to the hull, sand blasting and painting, piping, electrical work, deck repairs and a replacement of the engine to make the ferry more fuel efficient at a total cost of $900,000.
Holland said depending on the total cost, the department will have to determine whether it is worth taxpayers' dollars to repair the damage and proceed with the retrofit or whether to scrap the ferry.
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Mill Bay
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Post by Mill Bay on Mar 7, 2009 0:04:03 GMT -8
So.... Newfoundland has one ferry built in 1963, and it's considered a vintage ferry... what would that make the remaining V/B class?
March 6, 2009
Newfoundland to decommission vintage ferry
The Newfoundland & Labrador Department of Transportation and Works has decided to decommission the 1963-built car passenger ferry M/V Inch Arran.
The 33.5 m long,16 car/40 passenger ferry has been at Clarenville Drydock, Clarenville. Newfoundland, but the originally estimated cost of repairs has soared from around Canadian $500,000 to approximately $2 million, reports The Telegram.
"Since the ferry was already slated to be decommissioned in one year, department officials felt such an investment was imprudent," reports the Telegram.
The M/V Inch Arran had been servicing the community of Little Bay Islands before its scheduled refit.
This is one of the routes that will be served by two 42 m, 16 car, 80 passenger ferries that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has ordered at a reported $50.5 million from Peter Kiewit Sons Co., which operates the Marystown Shipyard, in Marystown, Newfoundland.
The first is scheduled for delivery at the end of this year and the other in spring 2010.
Originally, Clarenville Drydock was to have participated in the project as a subcontractor, but it has reportedly pulled out.
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D'Elete BC in NJ
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Post by D'Elete BC in NJ on Mar 18, 2009 5:17:14 GMT -8
www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/03/18/nb-ferry-death.html
Cuts to local N.B. ferry services called 'St. Paddy's Day massacre'Budget cuts have sunk ferry service in three New Brunswick communities, in what one local mayor is calling "the St. Paddy's Day massacre." Finance Minister Victor Boudreau announced in his Tuesday provincial budget that the Gagetown, Hampstead and Belleisle ferries will no longer make their regular runs across the St. John River. The provincial government says use of the ferries has dropped over the years and it couldn't afford the $12-million cost to replace the vessels. Gagetown Mayor Randy Smith was aghast at the news after Tuesday's budget. "My jaw dropped. Unbelievable," Smith said. "All I can say is that Al Capone has Valentine's Day, and now [N.B. Premier] Shawn Graham has St. Paddy's Day. He has the St. Paddy's Day massacre on his hands. It is unbelievable." Smith said the loss of ferry service will hurt tourism in his community. The Gagetown and Belleisle ferries will stop their runs at the end of the month. Meanwhile, the Hampstead ferry's summer run has been cancelled. Local residents lobby to save service The news of the ferry cuts is coming as a surprise to many in the southern New Brunswick communities, such as Bob Bates, who operates a strawberry u-pick in Belleisle. "In our area we do not have adequate cellphone coverage, we do not have high-speed internet, and now they're going to put the death nail in by taking away our ferry service," Bates said on Tuesday. Up the river in Gagetown, meat shop owner Ross Whetmore said the decision will hurt business and tourism. "There will be a petition ready to go for people to sign, that we keep the ferry. Or at the very least, keep it for the summer," he said. But Transportation Minister Denis Landry said he had little choice, when told to reduce costs as every government department was forced to cut back to help reduce the budget deficit, which hit $740 million. "It's really hard for me ... at the end of the day, we had to save some money and, well, this was the conclusion," Landry said. Landry said over the last three years the average Gagetown ferry trip has only had 1.3 vehicles on it, the Belleisle ferry had an average of three and the Hampstead ferry less than one vehicle per crossing.
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Post by fargowolf on Dec 1, 2009 16:55:33 GMT -8
The POS ferry I drove for a summer (2006) in Alberta (Shaftesbury Ferry) My Dad took the pics as I was working:
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[moderator edit: all photos were way oversized. photos PM'd to poster, for him to resize if he chooses]
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 19, 2009 6:36:49 GMT -8
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D'Elete BC in NJ
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Post by D'Elete BC in NJ on Dec 21, 2009 11:05:37 GMT -8
www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/12/21/nb-stranded-ferry-1102.html
Passengers rescued from stranded St. John River ferryA group of 17 passengers has been removed from a ferry that was stranded for more than three hours on the St. John River on Monday morning. Andrew Holland, a spokesman for the New Brunswick Department of Transportation, said the ferry was travelling between Grand Bay-Westfield and Hardings Point when the cable broke at 8 a.m. A towboat arrived at about 11:30 a.m. to take the passengers back to shore. "It showed that the system works. Even though the cable broke, the reality is that the contingency plan was quickly put in place by the DOT folks," Holland said. "It's an inconvenience to people. We apologize for that, but you can't even predict when these things will happen." Holland said the ferry drifted about 600 metres, but crews dropped anchor to stop it from moving farther. A school bus was among the 11 vehicles temporarily stranded on the ferry along with 17 passengers. The province's spokesman said no children were on board the bus. There were no injuries resulting from the incident. Holland said the Transportation Department will inspect the ferry on Monday in the hope of discovering why the cable snapped. A second cable ferry is continuing the service.
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D'Elete BC in NJ
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Post by D'Elete BC in NJ on Feb 9, 2010 8:29:09 GMT -8
Hard one to classify... marinelink.com/News/Article/333274.aspx-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deltamarin, New Ferry Design Contracts Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and Société des Traversiers du Québec have both ordered new passenger ferry designs from Deltamarin. Both companies named sustainable design and excellent energy efficiency as important criteria in the designs. The order of the Scottish Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) comprises the concept design of two small RoPax ferries (311.6 ft & 114.8 ft). The designs will be used as tendering specifications to shipyards. CMAL are intending to commence a fleet replacement program in the near future, and these ferries will be a part of it. The ferries will operate around the Scottish mainland and islands. Two of our partners also participate in the project: Safety at Sea Ltd in simulations, manoeuvring and seakeeping, and SeaTec Ltd in port interface, risk management and environmental management. The other contract was signed with the Canadian Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ) for professional services in Naval Architecture and Engineering for the Matane - Baie-Comeau - Godbout new ferry. The work includes concept design for tendering purposes as well as supervision of the works during the construction, trials and commissioning of the ship. The work is to be performed by the consortium of the Canadian Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering company Navtech Inc. and Deltamarin. Both concepts are to be developed in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. The fuel consumption and hence CO2 emissions are to be minimized and the latest technologies are to be implemented on all ship systems, so that the impact of the vessel on its environment could be minimized. Deltamarin has an excellent track record of developing efficient designs taking into account the entire lifecycle of the vessel and they maintain that sustainable design is cost efficient as well. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 26, 2010 5:59:01 GMT -8
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D'Elete BC in NJ
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Post by D'Elete BC in NJ on Oct 4, 2010 9:30:07 GMT -8
www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2010/10/04/nl-ferry-collision-104.html
South coast ferry hits fishing boatA ferry collided with an anchored boat off the province's southwest coast on Saturday, according to the RCMP. A Burgeo man told police he was in a five metre open boat when the Marine Voyager hit it and kept going. He told police he was fishing for cod during the food fishery about 200 metres north of Boar Island when the collision took place at around 2 p.m. The Marine Voyager, which runs passengers from Burgeo to Francois on the south coast of Newfoundland, departed from the government wharf in Burgeo 500 metres away before the incident happed. The man said he saw the ferry coming in his direction, but believed it saw him and would turn to avoid him. He said the Marine Voyager hit the boat broadside, pushed past it and kept going. He wasn't injured and the boat was not seriously damaged. The operator told police he did not see anyone in the wheelhouse or on the deck of the Marine Voyager before or after the accident. There was light fog in the area at the time of the incident, but police said visibility was good. Transport Canada, the Marine Services Division of the provincial Department of Transportation and Works and the RCMP are investigating.
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