Corner Brook -
After sitting at the dock in Port aux Basques for more than 32 hours, the MV Atlantic Vision is back in full service.
Tuesday morning, the Vision was pushed into the fendering system on the dock by a 42-knot wind gust. One of the fenders broke lose and put a hole in the vessel 15 feet above the water line. The mishap also cracked the ferry's tail fin.
The Vision didn't leave the dock at Port aux Basques until late Wednesday afternoon. The MV Caribou and the MV Lief Ericson had to wait offshore until the Vision departed.
Tara Laing, communications officer for Marine Atlantic, said a barge was being worked on next to the Marine Atlantic dock, so it was safer to have only the Vision in port.
The Crown corporation worked with Transport Canada to ensure the vessel was repaired safely.
"Originally what we had planned on doing was making just a temporary fix and moving the vessel out," Laing said. "Based on what needed to be done, the approach that had to be taken and the fact we had all the necessary parts as well as the capable people, we opted to complete it. The work is going really well, so they're (Transport Canada) going to give us full authority to go back in full service."
The ferry service on the Cabot Strait was expected to be back to the normal schedule today.
Once the Vision moved out of port at 5:50 p.m. the plan was, as of press time, the Caribou would dock. If the winds proved favourable, the Ericson would also dock.
The Caribou was scheduled to leave Port aux Basques 11:45 p.m.
The Vision was expected to arrive in North Sydney at 10 p.m. Newfoundland time.
Laing said the backed-up traffic should be cleared up today.
Gord Peddle, marine chair of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association, said accidents will happen no matter what boat is in place.
He believes it is time for Marine Atlantic's skippers to know how the Vision behaves in wind. The ferry's been in operation since April 1, so Peddle feels officials should be familiar with the vessel by now.
"They're going to have to start dealing with methods ... mechanisms to allow the Vision to get into that dock without beating herself up," Peddle said. "She's been running there long enough, and they're getting to the point where they're going to have to figure out what winds she can dock in, and what winds she can't dock in."
