CBC News - January 13

*N.L. playing 'Russian roulette' with aging ferry fleet*


       *Last Updated: Monday, January 14, 2008 | 7:27 AM NT *


         
*New and compounding problems with Newfoundland and Labrador's notorious
ferry fleet underscore the need to build new vessels, a consultant says.*

*In the last two weeks, at least five ferries have been temporarily
knocked out of service for problems ranging from engine failure to an
engine-room fire to a rope becoming caught in a propeller.*

*Ed Kent, a consultant who has worked on the province's ferry system,
said some of the vessels are simply accidents waiting to happen.*

*"There's a bit of Russian roulette there," said Kent.*

*"You don't drive a 25-year-old car on the highway and not have it
maintained."*

*A report prepared for the government in 2006 showed that almost all
over the vessels in the provincial government's fleet, as well as
vessels it leases from private companies, pose significant maintenance
challenges, with most already past the age when they ought to have been
replaced.*

*The report, by the consulting company BMT, also encouraged the
government to tackle a tough political nut — cutting the size of the
fleet, and recognize that many of the small coastal communities served
by the ferries have had steep drops in population.*

*So far, the provincial government has commissioned the design of two
vessels.*

*Kent, who is also a member of a ferry users' committee on Bell Island,
which had its ferry Nonia knocked out of service last week, said much
more needs to be done.*

*"They need to escalate their design. Fast-track it," he said.*

*"There's a very serious problem. I would suggest that the worst
infrastructure problem the government has by far is the poor state of
the ferry fleet."*

*In addition to the Nonia, which has had a history of mechanical
problems, the two ferries serving Grey River and Francois on the south
coast have also had mechanical and structural problems.*

*A ferry on the Fogo Island run was out of service for a few days when
ropes were entangled in its propeller — the same piece of equipment that
collapsed last year — while the MV Apollo, which serves southern
Labrador and northern Newfoundland, was docked after a boiler-room fire.
No one was injured.
*

*FOLLOW-UP COMMENTARY
*
Points to consider

1. The poor state of the fleet with no investment in new vessels for 20
years has resulted in most vessels operating in the 40-50 year range
.They are worn out with metal fatigue etc.Why are these vessels being
allowed to sail

2. Since 2004, when the funding for the BMT fleet study was approved and
2006 when Govt approved funding for the design of 2 vessels , 4 years
later no tenders have been awarded.It will take 2 more years
for the first vessels to be completed
The task of replacing vessels that were overdue for replacement 10 years
ago will never be accomplished


3. How is it possible that these old vessels are still being
certified.After 12 years Govt will not allow school buses on the highway
due to the risk of structural fatigue etc.Experts have stated that the
useful life of a vessel is 25 -30 years yet most of the fleet is over
40-50 years old already


4. The Govt charter fleet vessels are mostly over 40 years old .
Government on new charter tenders should specify that ferries to be
supplied in new tenders cannot be over 30 years and must meet the latest
Canadian standards.


5. At least 7 of the ferry serviced communities now have populations of
less than 300 people .Before building new vessels at $10,000,000 or so
each for these communities Government should offer an attractive package
to the families in these communities to make it worth while for the
majority to want to relocate.A number of these communities have no local
industry , very few children with costly to operate schools, have their
power supplied by costly PDD subsidies and costly subsidies for ferries.
Govt could give each family $150,000 or more and have the payout
recovered in less than 5 years .


6.If another Provincial ferry broke down today, there is no acceptable
vessel
available. In fact several communities now have to share vessels due to
4 boats now out of service.It is a desperate state of affairs


7. Govt should fast track its ferry build program

Posted January 14, 2008 02:16 PM