Confederation

MV Confederation is a double-ended RORO ferry which operates on a seasonal basis between Caribou, Nova Scotia and Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island from May to December. It is operated by Northumberland Ferries Limited (NFL). Built by Pictou Industries Limited for NFL and launched in Pictou, NS in 1993 Confederation has a total length of 114.2 metres, beam of 18.77m, a draft of 4.439m and a gross tonnage of 8,060. Her passenger capacity is 600 with a vehicle capacity of 220. History Background As early as 1985, increased tourist traffic prompted talks of introducing a strategy to address capacity issues, as the facilities at Caribou and Wood Islands were operating well beyond capacity with vehicle lineups sometimes stretching several kilometers on either side of the route. By November of 1991, a contract was signed between the federal government and Pictou Industries to locally construct a new high-capacity ferry specifically designed for the route, with the anticipation of a second identical vessel eventually entering service. Both Caribou and Wood Islands terminals received major upgrades to accommodate the proposed vessels almost immediately in order to be completed by the maiden voyage of the new ferry. Construction Construction of what would become known as the Confederation began in February, 1992 with a scheduled completion of July of 1993. Based on a Norwegian concept, the ferry was to be double-ended due to the inability of a vessel of its size to turn around in both harbors, and she was to have an ice-strengthened bow. By the 1993 tourist season, it became clear that the vessel would not be completed on schedule due to technical issues with safety equipment and issues with docking infrastructure. MV Confederation was officially completed on October 28, 1993 at a price tag of $45 Million CAD and nearly 4 months behind schedule.