P.E.I. ferry lineups, delays 'regrettable' as ship awaits repairs overnight

Some customers who showed up at NorthumberlandFerries Limited'sterminal in Wood Islands, P.E.I., hoping to cross to Caribou, N.S., without reservationswere able to be accommodated, the company said Monday afternoon.

• Technical problems cancel some ferry crossings between P.E.I. and N.S.

This was after NFL warned passengers via media releases,emailsand phone calls that two afternoon crossings Monday were fully booked with reserved customers, as the company workedto repair the MV Confederation out of service since early afternoon Saturday.

"With all the media releases and the communication that we've put out there, we're trying to manage people's expectations and inform them that we have limited capacity, so we don't expect the same sort of traffic that normally would arrive here to come today," said Cormier.

The only other sailing from the P.E.I. side is at 7:30 Monday evening.Cormierencouraged customers wishing to take it to call ahead and make a reservation if there is availability.

Free passage for some

NFL offered some customers who had afternoon reservations free passage on that 7:30sailing, and some accepted, notes Cormier.If alternate arrangements couldn't be made for customers, their reservations would be fully refunded, a release from the company added.

NFL also notified all the trucking companies that use it regularly and told them service would be very limited. Truck traffic is 25 per cent of the company's volume, Cormier said.

"It's certainly regrettable," Cormier said. "It is obviously disappointing to our customers... but things do break."

Ferry could be back in service Tuesday

The parts needed to repair the MV Confederation are expected to arrive Monday evening, allowing the ship to be returned to service Tuesday.

The problem is the breakdown of an electric motor that controls the pitch of the ship's propeller blades, Cormier explained. A replacement motor was found in Europe and is scheduled to be picked up in Halifax Monday night.

"The repair is only a matter of installing that motor, which is about 30 to 60 minutes," Cormier said.

Northumberland Ferries advised people to check itswebsite for repair updates.

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