By Canadian Press

Quebec ferry service interrupted again after crash opens hole in ship’s bow

Feb 25, 2019 | 12:00 PM

Ferry service between Quebec’s Gaspe region and the north shore of the St. Lawrence River is once again paralyzed, this time following an accident.

The MV Apollo, purchased as a temporary replacement after another ferry was sent to dry dock in December, struck the wharf in Godbout, Que., Monday, leaving a gaping hole in its bow.

The Crown corporation that oversees ferry service in Quebec immediately sent investigators to the scene.

Alexandre Lavoie, spokesman for the Societe des traversiers du Quebec, said the cause of the crash and the extent of the damage had not yet been determined. Investigators will interview the ferry’s captain and crew, he said.

No one was injured during the incident. Service on the route that links Matane in Gaspe and Baie-Comeau and Godbout on the north shore has been indefinitely suspended.

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Investigators must assess the damage to the ship to establish if it can be repaired on site or needs to be sent to a shipyard.

“The first thing will be to see the extent of the damage, to see how much time will be needed for a repair before the ship can go back to sea,” Lavoie said.

He added that “the weather conditions were not perfect this morning, but if the captain decided to go to sea, it was because he thought the conditions were not dangerous.”

The provincial Crown corporation is evaluating other options to provide passenger service. The ferry that normally serves the route, the MV F.-A.-Gauthier, is still undergoing repair at the Davie shipyard in Levis, Que.

The Canadian Press