Ferry service between PEI and Nova Scotia will be canceled for another day as Northumberland Ferries continues to deal with the aftermath of the MV Holiday Island fire.
The company told customers via text message Sunday around noon that service would not resume Monday. It is now looking to resume travel between Caribou, North Carolina, and Wood Islands, PEI, with the MV Confederation starting Tuesday morning.
Northumberland Ferries says the cancellation is due to “ongoing recovery and customer care efforts” related to the MV Holiday Island, which had to be evacuated two days ago due to a fire.
Tugboats successfully towed the vessel to the Wood Islands port on Sunday morning after the company’s plan to do so was approved by the Canadian Coast Guard on Saturday night.
The company said in a statement that the fire, which started in the ship’s engine room, appeared to be out as of Saturday afternoon. But now there will be a process to verify that it has fully exited the ship.
Two tugs were towing the ship, with a third acting as a backup. (CBC/Tony Davies)
On Saturday, the company said it believed the fire was contained to the ship’s engine room and funnels.
Northumberland Ferries said it would also check the ship’s stability and structural integrity, remove water and put environmental measures in place.
“We understand the importance of returning vehicles to our customers, and this is a priority,” Vice President Don Cormier said in the release. “But we are asking customers not to return to the terminal until instructed to do so.
“We will continue to communicate separately and directly with our customers regarding all of the above.”
More than 200 passengers and crew were evacuated from the ship as it traveled to the Wood Islands on Friday with no serious injuries.
Eighty-three vehicles remain on the ship. Northumberland Ferries said on Saturday that all pets had been rescued and there were no livestock or dangerous goods on board.
Two tugs secured the ship at anchor with a third as a spare. The plan started at 6 am and was completed by 8:30 am.
Northumberland Ferries said it would provide further information on Monday about resuming the service.
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