Ferries, Ferries, and still more Ferries

[Blackwolf]

Indeed, I ideally want this to be a year-round venture. Most (like 99%) of our travel occurs in the "off-peak" periods between November and April due to the nature of my career. Considering that Nova Scotia is a common destination to visit the in-laws, having the ferry be operational as a true means of transport and not just a cute little excursion trip is vital.

In all honesty, if this comes to pass, I will be planning to take Amtrak from Sacramento, CA to Portland, ME (SAC-CHI-BOS-POR) and then transfer to the ferry. Looking at the map, POR is about 1 1/2 miles from the Ocean Gateway ferry terminal. There is no connection provided between these two locations now, though I would strongly think that when the ferry service begins one should be set up so there is a viable link for train riders and a connection with the National Network.

 

[Anderson]

Well, and a mile and a half isn't a horrid distance for a taxi ride, especially if shared between 2-3 passengers per run (which should come to about $6-8 one-way for the group, or $2-3/person). As long as there's a passable set of taxis waiting at each end (which seems likely if anybody is going to a hotel, for example), the transfer should be a non-issue.

In terms of business model, I think we'll see some sort of hybrid. For example, I could see ferry service running on a more limited schedule in the off-season (maybe one way per day or not-quite-daily service) but going back to a peak schedule for a few weeks around major holidays. In an ideal world, you'd have two ferries in the peak season and then drop back to one-per-day January-March to allow maintenance on one ship.(*)

*Of course, I say this...and all I can think is "this would be a great route for a zeppelin".

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

The way it's looking, this will be a seasonal tourist venture. If it ran year-round, that's the only way for it to be viable-transport. It's hardest to get out of NS in thr winter, so running it seasonal dosen't help much at all.

Wasn't this route operated by Eastern Steamship Lines?

 

[NS VIA Fan]

The way it's looking, this will be a seasonal tourist venture. If it ran year-round, that's the only way for it to be viable-transport. It's hardest to get out of NS in thr winter, so running it seasonal dosen't help much at all.

Wasn't this route operated by Eastern Steamship Lines?

Yes, way back in the first half of the last century. The overnight steamships from New York and Boston connected with the Dominion Atlantic Railway...One DAR train was call the “New Yorker” and only operated in the summer.

Canadian National Railways launched the new “Bluenose” ferry between Yarmouth and Bar Harbor, Maine in 1956. CN was a government Crown Corporation at the time so service was heavily subsidized and did operate year ‘round.

Eventually the routes were privatized and only operated during the peak summer and fall tourists seasons.

(Amtrak On-topic: For a number of years after the MV Bluenose was retired from service, you could see it from NE Corridor trains...tied-up at General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut)

The new “Nova Star” is also only going to operate during the tourist season....at least initially but hopefully there will be enough truck traffic that could sustain it year ‘round.

Yarmouth is at the southern tip of Nova Scotia and has always had close ties to the US…Boston is closer to Yarmouth than Sydney is.

Public transport to/from Yarmouth has greatly diminished over the past few years. VIA’s pulled out in 1990...then the buses went along with airline service. (There’s only shuttle buses now along the south shore)

The last scheduled flight left for Portland, Maine just this past year and now the terminal sits empty.

The airport was once quite busy. Air Canada had daily DC-9s that stopped in Yarmouth on the route between Boston and Halifax (passengers cleared customs in Yarmouth) Yarmouth experiences a lot of fog and the morning flight from Halifax to Boston was known to just overfly Yarmouth and continue onto Boston. Passengers who thought they were only going to Yarmouth on a domestic flight now found themselves in a foreign country. This was all pre 9-11 and most probably only had their driver’s license with them. US Customs were OK with this and passengers were just put on the return flight to be dropped off in Yarmouth on the way back as the fog would probably have lifted by noon.

So hopefully the new ferry service will be successful and Yarmouth will have connections to the rest of the world again!

 

[xyzzy]

Roger that about YQI. YSJ (St John NB) no longer has air service to BOS or any other city in the U.S. But YQM (Moncton) does.

 

[railiner]

It is sad to see the lack of public transportation between New England and the Maritimes as compared to years ago....Greyhound used to run two daily all year round services from Boston to St. Stephen, some of which ran thru on a pool with SMT and Acadian from New York to Halifax at various times....they also added a summertime express to the mix. In addition there was McKenzie Bus Lines which pooled with Trailways of New England at one time. And BAR railroad highway division ran a daily bus from Bangor to Fort Kent, Me., that crossed from Madawaska into and out of Edmundston, NB. enroute.....

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Great info as always, NS VIA Fan! Much appreciated. DC-9s were quite popular back then, they seemed to fly a lot of regional routes that looped around with lots of stops. You don't see that anymore because it's so inefficient. They were truly buses in the air, sometimes taking off and landing in 100 miles!

 

[xyzzy]

There were many linear air routes with multiple intermediate stops -- in some ways, the airline equivalent of a long-distance passenger train -- until the 1970s. Higher fuel costs, the freedom to choose routes after deregulation, a desire to reduce pressurization cycles on the airframes, and Delta's success with a large hub-and-spoke operation in Atlanta were all factors. As the joke went in the South at that time, you might not know whether you'd go to heaven or hell after death but either way you'd have to change planes in Atlanta.

 

[railiner]

I notice that the Princess Of Acadia is currently doing two daily crossings from Saint John to Digby.....not quite Maine, but better than nothing.......

 

[RRUserious]

Pertinent news: http://www.theforecaster.net/news/print/2013/09/10/portland-nova-scotia-ferry-service-expected-begin/172002

 

[Anderson]

The key I see in that article is that the 05/01-10/31 schedule is a requirement of the deal, but there's no bar on other service. They have to operate a daily schedule in the six-month peak season to get their subsidy, but nothing says they can't/won't operate something (even if more limited) out of season as well.

I suspect the potential inclusion of gambling may be a modest draw, too. Call it a hunch, but that'd be at least a modest sweetener for the operator.

 

[NS VIA Fan]

I notice that the Princess Of Acadia is currently doing two daily crossings from Saint John to Digby.....not quite Maine, but better than nothing.......

[SIZE=medium]Yes, the Princess of Acadia operates double daily service on the 40 mile run between Digby NS and Saint John NB. It’s now 42 years old and is going to be replaced.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1137338-digby-to-get-new-ferry[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]The Princess of Acadia was originally operated by Canadian Pacific Railway as it provided the connection between the Dominion Atlantic Dayliner at Digby (the train even ran out onto the wharf to make the connection) and the Atlantic Limited at Saint John for Montreal. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]The service was taken over by Marine Atlantic...... then privatized and now operated by Bay Ferries. [/SIZE]

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[SIZE=medium]>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]We might only have one passenger train left here in the Maritimes......the “Ocean” but we certainly have a variety of large Ferries. One other route that I don’t think has been mentioned here is the CTMA Ferry between Souris, PEI and the Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec......an archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.[/SIZE]

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[xyzzy]

And to revive an old thread: http://www.wral.com/ocracoke-ferry-rescues-raleigh-couple-after-sailboat-capsizes/12932671/

 

[Blackwolf]

Unfortunately, it would seem as if the story behind the "new" Maine-Nova Scotia ferry is not so cut and dry after all.

Deal for Nova Scotia ferry to Maine not final.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Unfortunately, it would seem as if the story behind the "new" Maine-Nova Scotia ferry is not so cut and dry after all.

Deal for Nova Scotia ferry to Maine not final.

Argh, looks like everything about transport in Canada is real trippy. Finalized deals are so hard to come by and all the modes of transport are getting into an on-off mess. Same with not just ferries, but also trains, buses, planes, etc.

 

[NS VIA Fan]

We made a quick trip over to Charlottetown PEI yesterday. Going we caught Northumberland Ferries 8am crossing on the MV Confederation. The smaller, open deck MV Holiday Island is now in winter lay-up in the adjacent berth.

and just after arriving in PEI an hour & 15 min. later:

 

[NS VIA Fan]

We returned on the 4:30pm crossing. Going to PEI was free but to return to NS, it was $70 for the car and as many people you can fit in. Arrival back in Nova Scotia was just before sunset at 6pm.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Nice pictures again, NS VIA Fan.

 

[railiner]

Great shots! Thanks!

I think it is curious that they charge you to leave the Island, rather than enter the Island....somehow, it seems more logical (in my way of thinking) to do it the other way around....

I suppose that whichever way they select, it has to be the same way as the toll collection for the Confederation Bridge.....

 

[NS VIA Fan]

I was passing through North Sydney, NS this morning just as Marine Atlantics Atlantic Vision finished loading for its 1145 crossing to Newfoundland.

http://www.marine-atlantic.ca/index.asp

In the adjacent dock was the Leif Ericson

The Atlantic Vision pushes back from the dock and is underway for the 100 mile 5 1\2 hour crossing.

 

[Blackwolf]

Looking forward to (what I believe is the inevitable) the report on the return of US <-> Maritimes ferry service in Yarmouth! You may be a railfan, NS VIA Fan, but I think there's a touch of ship lover in you yet!

 

[NS VIA Fan]

Looking forward to (what I believe is the inevitable) the report on the return of US <-> Maritimes ferry service in Yarmouth! You may be a railfan, NS VIA Fan, but I think there's a touch of ship lover in you yet!

Yes theres definitely a trip on the Nova Star in the works for this summer....connecting to the Downeaster to Boston and maybe beyond!

Also planning to be back in North Sydney for a ride on the Atlantic Vision when its switched to the longer overnight run to Argentia.....a mini-cruise.

 

[Anderson]

The Downeaster connection sadly requires an overnight in Portland at the moment. Hopefully there will be a change in that regard in the future (and/or this service will be enough of a success to merit expansion, either on the Portland-Yarmouth route or on something else such as Boston-Halifax).

 

[NS VIA Fan]

The Downeaster connection sadly requires an overnight in Portland at the moment......

Yes....I’ve already looked at staying at the Clarion near the Amtrak Station. Any other recommendations for a close-to Amtrak Hotel in Portland?

Northbound, the connections from the Downeaster to the Nova Star are much better.

 

[Anderson]

That's where I stayed as well, which was nice since I was able to walk over, get to a room, and crash pretty quickly.