MV CONFEDERATION

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Report: Rudder failure remains a mystery

The TSB was unable to figure out why the 'Confederation' ran aground off N.S. on Sep 4, 2022. The ferry had 217 passengers and 36 crew members on board when its rudder malfunctioned as the ferry left Caribou, N.S., bound for Prince Edward Island. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada on Oct 10, 2024, has issued its final report. But it did not find out what caused its rudder to stop responding to the steering system and take the ship starboard into shallow waters, rather than port to keep it within the navigable channel between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The investigation determined that, at the time of the occurrence, the steering controls, steering gear, and rudder blade were functioning as designed. The TSB was unable to determine why the vessel did not respond to hard-to-port rudder inputs by the quartermaster. The ferry operator, Northumberland Ferries Ltd., stated that the control system was thoroughly inspected with Transport Canada and Lloyd's Register Classification Society personnel present over the winter and has explored all avenues to rule out a re-occurrence. The board said there were two things the Northumberland Ferries could have done better. The rudder did not work as expected starting at around 8:35 a.m., but the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre did not receive a report about the incident until 10:02 a.m. from a concerned third party. The TSB has reported on a number of recent occurrences in which a delay in reporting an incident affected the response. The TSB pointed out that the ship's captain had an accurate count of 217 passengers on board, but NFL shore staff informed the JRCC that the 'Confederation' was carrying 130 passengers and 20 crew members. The ship's master didn't get an accurate count of the 26 crew members on board until nearly 3,5 hours after the incident started. The Northumberland Ferries stated that the ship officials did have an accurate count that day, but then another source provided different numbers. In hindsight, this led to some unnecessary confusion, which could have been prevented. After the ferry grounded, the TSB report noted, two passengers were taken off onto a fishing boat by means of a ladder because they had a flight to catch. The rest stayed on board until the ship could move again with the help of a tug's towline as the tide rose, at around 3 p.m., and the vessel arrived back in Caribou for unloading at 4:18 p.m. The ferry company did carry out a number of actions in the months after the incident, including these: - The steering system was examined while it was in dry dock over the winter. - The company's safety management manual was revised to include an external accident reporting guide," which includes a requirement that the Canadian Coast Guard be notified in an emergency. - Northumberland Ferries brought in more training and a program of periodic drills and exercises.

Ferry suffered steering issues

The 'Confederation' suffered a steering issue en route to Wood Islands in the morning of Sep 4, 2022, shortly after setting out on its 8:30 a.m. sailing from Pictou, Caribou. The Captain took the necessary precautionary measures to stop the ship and dropped both anchors. Although the vessel’s steering was soon fully functional again, because of tidal conditions, where the ship was resting, and anchor recovery challenges, the ship was initially unable to sail back to the berth in Caribou. The anchors were recovered at approximately 3:30 p.m., and the vessel was able to proceed safely to its berth in Caribou. All passengers and vehicles got off the vessel safely. The crew of the Canadian Coast Guard vessel “Cape Spry” provided assistance in getting the 'Confederation' back to the dock. The ship will undergo detailed inspections in Caribou to ensure it is safe to resume operations. The scheduled crossings on Sep 4 for the 'Confederation' have been cancelled, as has the 7:00 a.m. sailing on Sep 5 with the 'Saaremaa 1' remaining in service.

Fery sidelined due to technical issues

Northumberland Ferries has cancelled crossings aboard the "Confederation" between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia on Aug 18, 2019, after the ferry suffered issues with its electronics at 11:15 a.m.. The crew discovered a technical problem with electronic controls. Technicians from the manufacturer are trying to determine the problem. There were also technicians in Europe who are also available to perform diagnostics remotely. The ferry was expected to leave from Wood Islands, P.E.I., at 6 p.m., and again at 7:30 p.m. Both crossings have been cancelled.