Both P.E.I. ferries out of service; no crossings for at least two days

An image of the MV Saaremaa 1. (Northumberland Ferries)

Both ferries that take passengers between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are out of service, leaving that mode of transportation off the table for those looking to travel between the two Maritime provinces.

In a social media post Tuesday, Northumberland Ferries Limited (NFL) said MV Saaremaa is temporarily out of service due to issues with two of its four main engines. All sailings for that ferry have been cancelled up to and including Thursday.

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The second ferry, MV Confederation, has been out of service for nearly two weeks after it crashed into the P.E.I. wharf following a mechanical issue.

With both ferries undergoing repairs, there is currently no ferry service between Wood Islands, P.E.I., and Caribou, N.S.

"Northumberland Ferries is working to restore service as soon as possible. All customers with reservations on sailings up to September 26 will be refunded," reads the social media post.

MV Confederation hit wharf last week

NFL said MV Confederation experienced what it believes was an issue with the de-clutching of the forward end braking propeller while it was entering Wood Islands on Sept. 15.

The mechanical issue led the ferry to collide with the wharf (dolphin structure) while it was docking, causing "considerable" damage to the bow visor of the ship.

In an update the following day, NFL said the damage would not be a simple repair, adding it did not have an estimation on how long it would take to repair the vessel.

However, the company said it was not accepting booking for two weeks, up to and including Sept. 29.

Passengers with reservations on that ferry were contacted to arrange a refund or re-book for alternate dates, according to NFL.