New Brunswick ferry to be drydocked for bow thruster repairs

New Brunswick, Canada, Department of Transportation officials are working with Coastal Transport Ltd. to make preparations to take the new ferry, Grand Manan Adventure, temporarily out of service after the high-traffic summer season ends.

Murray Ryder, president of Coastal Transport Ltd., said that the ferry must be drydocked to allow further repairs to be made to one of the bow thrusters. The ferry will go into drydock after Sept. 11 for about 10 days, plus travel time to Eastern Shipbuilding’s Panama City, Fla, shipyard.

The repairs are covered under the warranty and the Department of Transportation says that they will not result in any interruption to the normal ferry service provided during this period for passengers traveling between Blacks Harbour and Grand Manan Island.

Delivered by Eastern Shipbuilding July 20, the $68 million, 82 vehicle ferry entered service August 11, but was out of service until August 18 after an August 15 bow thruster failure.

September 7, 2011