Transportation and Works
April 14, 2011

Public Advisory: Contingency Plan Announced for Strait of Belle Isle Ferry Service

The Department of Transportation and Works advises that a plan is now in place to provide continued movement of people and goods across the Strait of Belle Isle while the MV Apollo is out for repair work relating to a damaged propeller.

Pending ice conditions, the MV Apollo will make one crossing on Saturday, April 16, with passengers and vehicles and then come out of service and proceed to drydock. The vessel is expected to be out of service for six to seven days.

The MV Astron will operate on the service, while the MV Apollo is undergoing repairs in drydock, carrying freight, vehicles and up to 12 passengers between Blanc Sablon and St. Barbe. A fixed-wing air service will be in place to accommodate additional passengers.

Air service will be provided between the airstrips in Forteau, Labrador, and Sandy Cove on the Northern Peninsula. A shuttle service will be provided to bring passengers to and from the marine terminals in Blanc Sablon and St. Barbe and the airstrips.

Ticketing and reservations will continue to be processed through Labrador Marine Inc. Travellers and shippers will be charged the same rates as they would normally be charged if using the MV Apollo.

For reservations or information on crossing times contact Labrador Marine Inc. at 1-866-535-2567 within the province or 1-709-535-0810 outside the province.

While the MV Apollo is on drydock, the damaged propeller and associated parts will be removed and inspected to determine the scope of needed repairs and to allow the ordering of necessary parts. It is expected the parts will take up to several weeks to arrive. The MV Apollo will return to service operating with one propeller until these parts arrive when it will have to be removed from service to allow the complete propeller repair.

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Media contact:
Roger Scaplen
Director of Communications
Department of Transportation and Works
709-729-3015, 697-5267
rogerscaplen@gov.nl.ca

2011 04 14                                                                      12:25 p.m.