Grand Manan ferry suffers setback

The Grand Manan V ferry will not be back in service on Saturday as planned, causing another week of inconvenience for people whorely on regular trips to and from the island.

The ferry ran aground in Blacks Harbour on May 18, forcing the vessel to be sent away for repairs.

Transportation Minister Claude Williams confirmed on Thursday there was more damage than anticipated to the vessel.

"Additional damage to the starboard side has been identified to the hull plate and internal frame after the vessel was placed in dry dock, and this needs to be repaired," Williams said.

While the Grand Manan V has been at a dry dock undergoing repairs, the smaller, older MV Grand Manan has been the only link to the mainland. It holds 25 cars, and just two transport trucks at a time.

The smaller ferry has created headaches for many businesses, particularly the fishing and aquaculture industries, on Grand Manan.

Toby McLaughlin, the owner of Foggy Cove Ventures, ships live seafood from Grand Manan and the smaller ferry means he'sbeen forcedto work even longer hours.

He said the 46-year-old ferry is too out-of-date to handle the island's transportation business.

"I'm trying to get up at 2 a.m., 3 a.m., 4 a.m. to chase the ferries. We're working 20, 22-hour days and it's crazy. It's going on a month now," McLaughlin said.

The ferry will remain at the Groupe Maritime Verreault dry dock in Les Mchins, Que., until next Wednesday. It is now scheduled to be back in service on June 18.

Bev Fleet trucks cargo to and from the island.

He's not surprised the original deadline set for Saturday won't be met.

"The ship wasn't even in dry dock when that assumption was made. That's just to pacify us I would say," Fleet said.

A new ferry, the Grand Manan Adventure, is still in Florida.

It's expected to be in service by the end of this month.