Ferry service resumes in Saint John after terminal mechanical issues

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A mechanical issue at the Saint John terminal for the Fundy Rose ferry, which travels from Saint John to Digby, N.S., forced service to be suspended last week, an official with Bay Ferries Limited stated.

Ferry service resumed Monday morning though Bay Ferries Limited director of corporate services Kelly Williams stated in an email that the issue at the terminal remains and is not likely to be fixed for another one to two weeks.

“MV Fundy Rose loads and unloads at the bow end at the Saint John terminal. A large bumper is in place at the dock that the vessel bow pushes against; this helps the Captain establish the vessel position in dock for loading and unloading,” Williams explained in an email to Brunswick News. “The Bay of Fundy has a very large tidal range and the bumper is raised and lowered with the tide by two large winches. One of the winches failed in operation after the departure of the vessel on Tuesday, May 7.”

Williams said attempts were made to locate the problem, with the hope it could be repaired on site resulting in cancellations for the ferry service.

“The cause of failure is still under investigation and the repair will take (one to two) weeks. In the meantime, the bumper was removed yesterday with the assistance of a floating crane,” Williams stated. “The vessel can operate without the bumper with additional operational procedures put in place by the Captain.”