June 2, 2016 - 15:45 — Timothy Gillespie
Release passenger counts, says Baillie
The CAT high-speed ferry, has successfully completed sea trials and has departed Charleston, South Carolina, initially headed to Portland, Maine, according to a news release Thursday from Bay Ferries Ltd.
The CAT high-speed ferry, has successfully completed sea trials and has departed Charleston, South Carolina, initially headed to Portland, Maine, according to a news release Thursday from Bay Ferries Ltd.
The vessel has just completed an extensive program of renovation, repair, and upgrade at Detyens Shipyard Inc. in Charleston.
The final step of this program was sea trials which took place in the waters off South Carolina yesterday. During those trials, the vessel achieved a speed of 42 knots (approximately 48 mph) at main engine rpm of 1150 (100% MCR). It is anticipated that the vessel's normal open sea operating speed once on the ferry service will be in the order of 33-35 knots.
Mark MacDonald, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bay Ferries Limited, said in the release, "We are pleased to have moved on to the next stage of the reintroduction of this ferry service. We are extremely grateful to our Bay Ferries' team who led this extremely complex and challenging project against a very tight timeline."
Before the CAT begins to operate , it must obtain final regulatory approvals, issuance of certification, training, and testing of life saving appliances, which will happen in both Portland and Yarmouth.
In a news release earlier this week, PC Party leader Jaimie Baillie reiterated his demand for the government to require Bay Ferries to release monthly passenger updates.
Last week, Bay Ferries said it has no plans to release the numbers, saying it sends a terrible message of instability to key markets. Baillie says he worries that this signals the company’s lack of confidence that the run will be successful and that, from a taxpayer’s perspective, hiding this information is unacceptable.
“Premier McNeil is being led around by Bay Ferries and Portland, Maine,” says Baillie. “It’s time for him to stand up for Nova Scotia taxpayers and put their interests first.”
Baillie has also written directly to Bay Ferries CEO Mark MacDonald asking that he agree to report monthly on passenger information, allowing government, media and the general public to examine, scrutinize and assess how public funds are being used.
Nova Star was required to provide cash flow reports, the release added, as well as weekly passenger booking reports, the number of vehicles per sailing and other regular reporting of financial statements.
To date, Baillie said in the release, taxpayers alone bear all financial risk and the government refuses to release the additional management fees that Bay Ferries will receive.
“It’s another broken promise,” says Baillie. “Demand passenger counts. Taxpayers have the right to know.”
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