Drink Beer, of course!!!
N.L. ferry back on trackTraffic backed up in North Sydney when MV Leif Ericson part failsBy JOCELYN BETHUNE
NORTH SYDNEY — A new engine part has been installed aboard the MV Leif Ericson, returning the ferry to its schedule.
"We have some backlog of commercial traffic but with the Ericson coming back on the schedule we’ll look after that quite quickly," Tara Laing, spokeswoman for Marine Atlantic, said Friday, hours before the vessel was expected to leave for Port aux Basques, N. L., for the first time since Wednesday.
The vessel was taken out of service when a turbocharger in one of the boat’s four engines failed just as the boat was leaving the North Sydney dock at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. Passengers and commercial traffic were taken aboard the MV Caribou for the trip across the Cabot Strait.
It was the second time in the past two months that a mechanical breakdown has caused delays for the ferry service. In early August, at the height of the tourist season, a turbo-thruster in one of the four engines on the Leif Ericson failed, stranding 1,300 passengers.
Mechanical breakdowns are not unusual, but "it would seem that we’ve had more this year," Ms. Laing said.
At the Marine Atlantic docks Thursday afternoon, a pickup truck hauling a large industrial trailer was first in line, ahead of about 30 tractor-trailers.
"There were eight cars ahead of us — they even took some from behind us," said Keith Teachout, a Michigan welder on his way to Newfoundland and Labrador for the first time to hunt moose with three of his buddies.
The four men arrived at the ferry dock at 1:30 a.m. Thursday after a 33-hour road trip and had expected to get aboard a ferry at 10 a.m.
They had nowhere to rest because the trailer they were hauling contained hunting gear and a refrigeration unit "for hauling our moose back," Mr. Teachout said.
But the men seemed content to enjoy the warm September day on the tailgate of their pickup truck with a few beers. Their hunting expedition will start today.
For Calvin Snow, a Newfoundland trucker carrying dried goods from New Brunswick, the delay meant extra time behind the wheel.
"I’ve been here since 12:30 last night — I’m going to have to drive all night to get to my appointments," Mr. Snow said.
( jbethune@herald.ca)