On March 11, two tow vessels were dispatched to provide assistance to a passenger ferry which had been out of action since 2017.
What happened?
The passenger ferry ‘MV Gallipoli’ has been out of service since September 5, 2017 and was left stalled on a marine railway, prompting a shutdown at Burry’s Shipyard in Clarenville, where repair work was being done.
Tow vessels dispatched
The Burry’s Shipyard has requested a tugboat to help pull the troubled passenger ferry into the water in Clarenville.
A Department of Transportation and Works spokesperson confirmed in an email to CBC that a vessel was sent to Clarenville to help tow the vessel, which has been out of service since September 5.
Occupational Health and Safety issued a stop-work order at the site until an assessment could be done.
The tugboat was to assist with the ferry on Sunday, but the provincial department didn’t provide any further details.
Ran into trouble
The Gallipoli was originally supposed to have a 90-day scheduled refit, but more problems were found, necessitating further repairs to the ferry, which services the Ramea-Grey River-Burgeo route.
In December, Transportation and Works said the ship was expected to return to service in April, but an updated timeline has not been provided since the mid-February setback. In February, it was estimated that the Gallipoli’s refit was more than half complete.
Also at that time, Transportation and Works Minister Steve Crocker said roughly $1.5 million has been spent on the refit, and the total cost is expected to reach $3 million.
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Source: CBC
