48-year-old ferry to get fix, pending aid from Ottawa

The Newfoundland and Labrador government has issued a tender call to proceed with major repair work on a 48-year-old ferry that has been out of service since last fall.

According to tender documents, final approval is contingent on the province getting financial help from Ottawa.

"I know there [was]some significant repair work that had to be done because of the age of the vessel," Transportation Minister Al Hawkins said.

Once the tender is in, we're able to look at the numbers, and then we'll be able to determine whether it's going to be an investment that we want to make.- Transportation Minister Al Hawkins

"Once the tender is in, we're able to look at the numbers, and then we'll be able to determine whether it's going to be an investment that we want to make."

The Sound of Islay was supposed to have had $600,000 worth of routine repair work done at a shipyard in Clarenville last fall.

But according to provincial briefing notes previously released through access to information, that estimated price tag grew to $5 million after a Transport Canada inspector found big problems with the ship's underwater hull.

• Sound of Islay, built in 1968, needs $5M fix to hit water

The repairs have been on hold ever since, while provincial officials figured out what to do.

Last week, they issued a tender call for the work with a caveat.

"Project approval is contingent on successful federal government funding under the New Building Canada Fund," the tender document noted.

Federal aid necessary, Hawkins says

Hawkins saidthe province has been in discussions with Ottawa, and is unlikely to proceed with the work without federal assistance.

The province is looking to the split the cost 50-50.

Any repairs will only be a stopgap measure to extend the life of the aging vessel.

"If we are in fact successful in getting the federal matching funding on that, certainly it would be worth the extension probably four, five, six year's life span on that," Hawkins said.

"So it would make the investment worthwhile."

In addition to fixing the hull, the tender also describes other repairs and modifications, to make the ship wheelchair accessible.

Repairs expected to take up to 150 days

The Sound of Islay acts as a swing vessel, filling in when other ships are out of service.

According to tender documents, the repair work is expected to take up to 150 days. The estimated start date is in late July, assuming Ottawa antes up.

"If the feds don't come through on that, we will probably not be proceeding with that," Hawkins noted.

The winning contractor is being asked to work almost around the clock, according to tender documents seven days a week, a minimum of 16 hours a day.

The Sound of Islay will also have to be towed from Clarenville to the winning shipyard "due to unavailability of vessel electrical power and propulsion."

'Life cycle is almost complete'

The Sound of Islay was built in 1968.

Last December, internal Department of Transportation briefing materials highlighted the potential downside of pouring millions into the aging vessel, notingthat "its life cycle is almost complete."

Hawkins saidthe province is working to address problems in the troubled ferry fleet.

The MV Veteran, a new ship purchased for $50 million, has experienced a series of mechanical problems that have kept it out of service.

• Delays, blown deadlines plague new ferry builds

• MV Veteran has everyone 'shaking their heads,' says Minister Al Hawkins

"It's not the ideal situation that we want to be in, but we're working through some of the issues and the challenges that we have, and we'll continue to do that," he said.