Those Big Marine Atlantic Ferries....They’re Ours Now!

[ghYHZ]

The Federal Government through Marine Atlantic has purchased the two ferries that have been chartered from Stena for the past several years and used on the run between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

http://www.marine-atlantic.ca/uploads/file/Marine-Atlantic-Purchases-MV-Blue-Puttees-and-MV-Highlanders(1).pdf

Here's a few shots at North Sydney NS of the MV Highlanders and MV Blue Puttees.

The smaller MV Lief Ericson is also used between North Sydney and Port aux Basques but usually for trucks.

.....and the Atlantic Vision is on the longer overnight run to Argentia, Newfoundland in the summer.

[D40LF]

Thanks for posting that. I was reading about these ships not long ago and was wondering what the plans were for these as they were leased.

Haven't seen these ones yet, doubt I will anytime soon as I now live in Calgary, but did manage to sail on the Lief Ericson (a voyage I will never forget due to the heavy seas) and the Caribou.

[ghYHZ]

I was stuck in the ice on the Ericson for 16 hours once......and a trip on the Caribou where an 8 hour overnight crossing turned into 36 hours:

We sailed up and down the coast just off Port aux Basques waiting for the winds to die-down so we could enter the narrow harbour. We had a cabin and they kept us well fed but our ski trip to Corner Brook was cut short.

[D40LF]

I only sailed up and down the coast just of PAB once, it was also while waiting for the winds to die down.

Did some more reading on Marine Atlantic yesterday, apparently the Atlantic Vision is still leased, the lease recently being extended. Also I did a search on the Caribou and Smallwood. Both were scrapped in Alang, India years ago. The Atlantic Frieghter is still in service however, its in Greece as the Pelagitis.