|
BAR HARBOR — News that a
competing ferry has suspended operations has
officials of Bay Ferries, operators of The Cat,
running to increase the number of trips they
make to Nova Scotia in the spring and fall
shoulder seasons.
Bay Ferries announced April
13 that this June, and again in September and
October, the company would schedule two runs per
day between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth. In past
seasons, the operators of the fast catamaran
have run one trip daily most days during those
months.
Last week, the operators of
the Scotia Prince, an overnight ferry that
shuttles vehicles and people between Portland
and Yarmouth, announced they would not be
operating this season. They cited unhealthy
levels of toxic mold in the city-owned terminal
in Portland as the reason.
At Bay Ferries, the phone
has been ringing off the hook since that
announcement, according to marketing manager
Risteen Masters. “We’re trying to deal with the
meltdown,” she said.
The most frantic calls are
coming from the operators of guided bus tours
that were scheduled on the Scotia Prince. They
now are looking for another fast way to Nova
Scotia. “They went into a panic,” said Masters.
The Cat, which can carry
240 cars and up to 900 passengers, makes two
trips daily to Yarmouth, taking about two hours
and 45 minutes to make the 124-mile crossing at
speeds of up to 55 mph. The 485-foot Scotia
Prince, which can carry 220 vehicles and more
than 1,000 passengers, runs overnight, taking
some 11 hours to cross the 200 miles between
Portland and Yarmouth. Unlike The Cat, which has
no sleeping accommodations, the Scotia Prince
has 314 cabins and more than 1,000 berths.
While Bay Ferries
previously explored the possibility of running
other fast catamarans between ports in Maine,
such as Rockland and Portland and Bar Harbor and
on to Nova Scotia, it is barred by federal law
from doing so. Under the terms of the Jones Act,
no foreign-flagged vessels can carry cargo or
passengers between U.S. ports.
Bay Ferries officials made
a quick call to its printer last week to stop
the presses printing schedules for the 2005
season. The additional sailings will be listed
in all printed materials.
Except for adding runs in
the shoulder seasons, there is little else Bay
Ferries can do this season because of the short
notice, Masters said.
Scotia Prince Cruises’ loss
will most likely be Bay Ferries’ gain as people
look for ways to avoid nearly a full day of
additional driving time to get to Nova Scotia.
“We anticipate the afternoon sailing will be
fuller than usual,” she said.
In the meantime, Bay
Ferries officials are considering their options
for expanding service next year, perhaps with a
larger vessel or additional ships.
Bay Ferries is being called
upon to share its expertise in operating fast
catamaran ferries worldwide. During this past
winter, The Cat has operated between the
Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago. In the
past it has spent the winter on runs between
Tasmania and Australia or between Miami and the
Bahamas.
During the past few
winters, the Scotia Prince has operated as the
Yucatan Express, providing twice-weekly ferry
service across the Gulf of Mexico between Tampa,
Florida and Mexico.
Last week, Bay Ferries
President Mark MacDonald was in New Zealand,
checking on a vessel there.
The Cat is scheduled to
begin regular runs from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth
on May 27. |
