The new Yarmouth-Maine ferry will start sea trials within days, according to Nova Scotia Transportation Minister Geoff MacLellan.
The CAT, which was refloated Wednesday after extensive refitting, repairs and upgrades, will start servicing the route between Portland and Yarmouth for the 2016 tourism season.
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The sea trials will happen in South Carolina before the ship heads to Yarmouth for its first sail of the season, however there’s no set date for when the CAT will head north to Nova Scotia.
A hiccup in the lease agreement between Bay Ferries and the town of Portland means there are nine possible blackout days, during which the ferry cannot dock in the city’s port.
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If that happens, the company could lose up to 5,000 passengers for the year, totaling a hit of about $1 million for the season.
The CAT is under charter from the American navy on an eight-year contract.
In the first year, the ferry will cost the Nova Scotia provincial government more than $23 million. It’s expected the costs will go down with each subsequent year of the contract.
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