Digby Courier - November 22, 2014
The Canadian government has bought the ferry to replace the Princess of Acadia on the Digby – Saint John run. It left Greece in mid-November, passed through the Straits of Gibraltar on Nov. 21 and as of 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 22 it was headed west across the wide open ocean.
A spokesperson with Transport Canada wasn’t able to say by press time where exactly in Canada the vessel is headed.
He did say once the ship gets here, its engines will undergo a 72,000-hour overhaul and conversion from heavy fuel to marine diesel oil.
He said they will also carry out minor modifications to ensure the vessel complies with Canadian safety regulations, and is compatible with existing shore-based infrastructure and for operation in the Bay of Fundy.
The engine overhaul needs to be completed by the original equipment manufacturer and the modification work will be subject to a future tendering process.
The vessel is expected to be in service in 2015.
The ferry’s progress can be observed on ship traffic websites like vesselfinder.com or marinetraffic.com when it is near shore. It is listed under the name Canada2014.
It is expected to be near the Azores by 6 p.m. on Nov. 22.
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