Bay Ferries and Nova Scotia taxpayers will pay for upgrades at Ocean Gateway Terminal in Portland.
Last year U.S. Customs and Border Protection threatened to end customs service in Portland because the facility doesn’t meet federal standards.
At the time Bay Ferries CEO Mark MacDonald said they were looking at all options for the Cat Ferry, including Bar Harbour.
USCBP had said the terminal needs $7 million worth of work, but it has agreed to operate at the terminal this year if between $1.5 million and $2 million worth of upgrades are made.
Speaking with Acadia News this morning, MacDonald says Portland was never off the table.
“Over the course of the winter, we’ve had our ongoing conversation that we have on a regular basis with the City of Portland around lease terms. That settled, in principle.” We have had an ongoing discussion with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Department around some process changes and work that needs to be done at the Portland ferry terminal. Those discussions have gone well and we are in the process of executing on a series of things that need to be done there that we’ve talked about throughout the year. All is well, we’re full speed ahead and looking for a strong season.”
The Cat ferry is at its winter berth in South Carolina for work including major engine repairs.
“We have performed ongoing work on the ship and then do, typically, a routine dry docking before she re-enters service, This winter has been different because we had to do the permanent repair to the serious engine issue which we had last summer. That program started about the 1st of November and is about 75 to 80 per cent complete. We expect to have the ship out on sea trials perhaps mid-April or so then we’ll have a brief dry docking and be back in business.
The cost of all of the engine work is being totally absorbed by the manufacturer of the engine.
MacDonald says the season is sheduled to begin June 8 and Bay Ferries has already begun booking passage online.
For up-to-date schedule information please visit our website.
The CAT: https://t.co/vKN3P1tgdA
Fundy Rose: https://t.co/LZpnzxlt27 pic.twitter.com/jhCoD9Smnd— Bay Ferries (@BayFerries) May 12, 2017
