Portland-to-N.S. ferry service plans take shape
The Eliot-based Quest Navigation, which is one of two bidders seeking to restore ferry service between Nova Scotia and Portland, says it has taken out a five-year lease on a ship it would use for the service.
The announcement comes as Nova Scotia officials continue to consider bids by Quest Navigation and the Baltimore-based Maritime Applied Physics Corp., which has an office in Brunswick.
Richard Frost, business development manager for MAPC, told Mainebiz that his company has also lined up a partnership to run its proposed ferry service but he did not reveal further plans for the service, citing a request from the province that bidders refrain from publicly discussing the details of their proposals during the evaluation process.
Quest announced at its website late last week that it has signed a long-term charter agreement for a $165 million, 1,215-passenger vessel that was built to ferry passengers and vehicles across the English Channel.
The Portland Press Herald reported that Quest, a company with no prior experience operating ferries, has also contracted for crew and hotel operations aboard that ship with Maritime Holdings Group, which operates ferries in the Caribbean.
Nova Scotia officials have approved spending up to $21 million over seven years to restart the service. Quest officials told the paper that the company's business plan for a seasonal passenger service and commercial vehicle service shows the business could be sustainable after one year and could be running as early as this summer pending a provincial decision.
The ship Quest leased, to be christened the Nova Star, includes a casino, two restaurants, four bars, retail space and a movie theater.
The paper reported that provincial officials declined to comment on the specifics of the proposals from either company before a decision is made. Frost said he is expecting a decision from provincial officials in the next two weeks.
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