MV Saaremaa 1 returning to service for Northumberland Ferries in mid-May

Northumberland Ferries says the MV Saaremaa 1 is returning to service between Wood Islands – Caribou from mid-May until mid-October.  The vessel is owned by STQ of Quebec and is required to stay there for STQ until mid-May, at which point it will sail to Caribou and complete final preparations and training before entering service for Northumberland Ferries. Once the preparations are complete, MV Saaremaa 1 will be on stand-by in Caribou to provide back-up to MV Confederation until two vessel service starts on June 16th. MV Saaremaa 1 will remain in service until MV Fanafjord goes into service.  That’s the vessel purchased by Ottawa for the PEI-Nova Scotia service until a new ferry is built to replace the MV Holiday Island that had to be scrapped after a fire in 2022.  The charter agreement with STQ does have an emergency recall provision in the event of a disruption on STQ’s ferry route.