MV Veteran sailing again after nearly 4 months of downtime

After almost four months, the MV Veteran is back in service in the Newfoundland and Labrador ferry fleet.

It was sidelined in October because of a problem with its port thruster.

Repairs to the $50-million vessel had been expected to be completed in January, but government said a delay in the shipment of replacement parts from Rolls-Royce was to blame for the delay.

The Department of Transportation and Works said Monday the Veteran is once again servicing the Fogo Island - Change Islands - Farewell run.

That route had been relying on the Legionnaire, which usually services Bell Island, but that ferry has experienced its own problems recently, including electrical issues that kept it out service for several days already in 2018.

Now, the Legionnaire will undergo regular maintenance and repairs to its bow ramp, according to a media release from the Department of Transportation and Works on Monday.

Once that work is finished, it will rejoin the MV Flanders on the Bell Island route.

The Legionnaire and the Veteran are sister ships, the newest ferries in the provincial fleet, and were built by Damen Shipyards in Romania.