Back in January I reported that the Nova Scotian government was taking bids to restart-up the Maine-Nova Scotia ferry. The government is pitching in $3 million in the form of subsidies per year for the next 7 years to the winner.
While the bid process is confidential, it’s rumored that the companies bidding are as follows:
- Quest Navigation of Maine
- Maritime Applied Physics Corp of Baltimore, MD
- International Shipping Partners of Miami
- ST Marine of Singapore
- P &O Ferries of the UK
- Balearia Caribbean Ltd. of Spain (owners of the Ft. Lauderdale to Freeport Pinar del Rio)
Keep in mind some of these groups could go into it as a joint venture. Pretty standard for high risk projects in the maritime industry.
There is no deadline for bids and no word on when ferry service would start up, but it’s a safe bet that it would be seasonal and run April-November. My target date would be a commencement of service on April 2014.
via Seacoast online
via cruisebusiness