Saaremaa carries its 1st paying passengers from Nova Scotia to P.E.I.

Halifax resident BeverelyBeamanhad nothing but rave reviews for the MV Saaremaa 1 on Saturday.

One of the first passengers off as the Quebec ferry started bringing vehicles across the Northumberland Strait, Beaman gave it a five-star rating for comfort.

She arrived at Caribou, N.S.,expecting to be travelling on MV Confederation, but jumped at the chance to try the new boat instead.

"The trip was fabulous," said Beaman. "I'm a little bit emotional because it was such a smooth ride. There was no bumps. And the boat is so quiet. And the plush seats and everything!"

She said the canteen was a bit smalland had only hot dogs and sausages to choose from for hot dishes, but added that there was "a great eating area,with lots of tables."

Beaman wonders if the boat will be a bit rocky in windier weather because it seems taller than the other ferries she has been on, but overall she gave the Saaremaa a rating of five out of five.

She said the new boat's level of comfort reminded her of the old MV Abegweit, adding:"I was so thrilled to be on her the first time."

Late Friday, Northumberland Ferries Ltd. announcedthe Saaremaa would get a soft launchthis weekend before it is added to the company's official schedule on Monday. For at least the rest of this tourism season, it will replace MV Holiday Island, which was damaged in a fire on July 22.

"Starting Monday, we've published three round trips, starting at 10 a.m. in Nova Scotia," saidDonald Cormier, the vice-president of Northumberland Ferries Ltd.

"It will obviously supplement the Confederation's four round trips, resulting in seven round trips daily, which is good capacity for this time of year."

Cormier saidthere are positives and negatives when it comes to adding a much newer vessel to the Northumberland Strait service. The 100-metre Saaremaais only 12 years old, having been built in Norway for an Estonian shipping company in 2010.

"There will be a loss of the nostalgia of the Holiday Island that served the Island well for over 50 years, so Saaremaa will be a different experience," he said. "But, like anything, there will be some positives, and some that people will miss you know, the retro look of the Holiday Island,the kind of deli restaurant that we had on board."

Cormier said it feels good to have two vessels back in service during the peak tourism season.

"It supports local economies, creates employment for the area and is an essential means of transportation to and from Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia."

• MV Holiday Island fire and evacuation: CBC's continuing coverage

It took a few more days than expected to train existing Northumberland Ferries crews who will work on the new vessel, Cormier said.

"We did spend more time to ensure that our crew could safely operate the vessel. The vessel, we now believe, and the crew are ready for service."

Cormier said the new boat carries more passengers, with more seating andoutside decks for viewing the Northumberland Strait. But not as many vehicles will be able to cross.

"She's rated for 150 automobiles, but we know from the previous operator that her true capacity is probably about125, which isprobably about 20 vehicles less than the Holiday Island."

He said staff will experiment with the vessel'struck deck to see howmany vehicles can be loaded."It likely will not be quiteas many as the Holiday Island, but the traffic that will be transported on Saaremaa will certainly make more truck space available on the Confederation."

We're quite optimistic that this is a suitable replacement for this year and possibly the future.- Donald Cormier

Cormier said Northumberland Ferries isn't counting on having the Saaremaain its peak-season fleetuntil a promised new ferry is built and delivered as early as 2027, though she is one option "for potentially multiple years" on the P.E.I.-Nova Scotia route.

"But we are looking at the market for other possibilities," he said, since Saaremaa is owned by the Socit des traversiers du Qubec(STQ) and that ferry company doesn't intend to sell it.

The Saaremaa's primary role is as a replacement for NM Flix-Adrien Gauthier on the Matane-Godbout-Baie-Comeauferryrun, and will have to head back to Quebec if that ferry goes out of service.

"But we know the Gauthier is a new vessel and she should be quite reliable. So we're quite optimistic that this is a suitable replacement for this year and possibly the future," Cormier said.