No damage to new ferry for N.S.-P.E.I. run after pipes froze during voyage, company says

The new vessel for the ferry service between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia experienced minor issues during its transatlantic voyage but suffered no damage, says the company that operates the service.

MV Northumberland, which was acquired by Transport Canada for around $40 million, is currently docked in Pictou, N.S. Formerly named MV Fanafjord, the ship began its journey from Norway last December and arrived here in January.

The ferry service across the Northumberland Strait has been inconsistent since the MV Holiday Island had to be scrapped following a fire aboard the ship in 2022. 

Last season, MV Confederation, the other vessel on the run, collided with the wharf and was out of service for weeks so damage could be repaired.

MV Saaremaa, which Transport Canada leased from Quebec after Holiday Island was scrapped, is not designed for the often windy conditions on the strait, leading to frequent cancellations.

Northumberland is expected to be a more reliable vessel for the service.

But during a recent roundtable discussion on CBC's Island Morning with candidates running in P.E.I.'s federal Cardigan riding, Conservative candidate James Aylward raised concerns about the new vessel.

"She's now over on the Nova Scotia side tied up with burst pipes because it wasn't winterized properly," Aylward said.

He elaborated later that day on social media: "This ferry was left unwinterized when it arrived from Norway, resulting in many of the pipes freezing and bursting. We are now hearing that her new diesel engines were damaged from this total lack of maintenance and mismanagement."

Ferry 'ready to go'

Mark Wilson, president and CEO of Northumberland Ferries Ltd., said there were issues with pipes during the vessel's trip from Bermuda to Pictou, the final leg of its voyage. 

The vessel is designed to Norwegian specifications and the ship's freshwater pipes were insulated, Wilson said.

"We experienced some very extreme winter conditions, resulting in some frozen freshwater pipes on the car deck," he told CBC News.

"I wouldn't really classify it necessarily as a repair. We just found a solution to the issue and made it right."

Wilson said it was a "relatively quick fix."

"That didn't cause any damage anywhere throughout the ship," he said.

"In terms of the diesel engines on the vessel, everything is in good working order, sailed well across the Atlantic, and the engines are brand new and ready to go [into] service this upcoming season."

Wilson added that the company does not report minor maintenance issues to Transport Canada.

Crew training and sea trials

The ferry service is scheduled to resume for the season in May.

Northumberland Ferries traditionally uses one ferry, MV Confederation, in the shoulder seasons and two during peak months.

Wilson said preparations for MV Northumberland's inaugural season are well underway, with crew training ongoing.

The ferry will be out for dock fits next week, he said, then will undergo extensive sea trials from both ports for the remainder of April.