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No_Name wrote:So GG broke down in d Ocean for almost an hour this morn...
Passenger who I knw said it eh ready fuh da Bago rin...
T&T Guardian - Less than two weeks after joining the T&T Spirit on the seabridge, the Galleons Passage developed mechanical problems on Friday and stopped in the high seas for more than 15 minutes for the crew on board to determine the source of the problem.
The return sailing from Tobago was cancelled. Technicians are expected to carry out investigations before the vessel returns to service.
Confirmed passengers will be accommodated on the 7.30 am sailing of the T&T Spirit on Saturday.
The vessel left the Port of Port-of-Spain just after 6 am on Friday, on what was its thirteenth sailing on the seabridge. The vessel sails four days a week Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from Port-of-Spain to Scarborough and a return trip from Scarborough to Port-of-Spain.
In a statement the National Infrastructure Development Company (NIDCO) which has responsibility for the vessel confirmed that the vessel “experienced a delay” on the morning sailing to Tobago.
According to NIDCO, a decision was taken by the Master to reduce the speed of the vessel “after an alert was seen on the bridge.”
NIDCO said the vessel was stopped for 15 minutes between 9.15 a.m. and 9.30 a.m.to allow the engineering crew to conduct preliminary checks on the source of the alert, once the checks were completed, the vessel resumed sailing.
But the speed was reduced to 15 knots and the vessel which has previously taken just under four and a half hours on the trip took almost six hours to make the trip to Tobago arriving at around 12.30 pm.
NIDCO said, “further investigations” were to be done on the vessel when it arrived in Tobago. It said the safety of the public “remains our number one priority.”
Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan told Guardian Media there was “no cause for concern at this time.”
He said, “these minor mechanical challenges will happen from time to time,” which he said is “normal on any new or old vessel.”
Sinanan said that is why there were “contingencies” in place which include having technical management services and engineers on board the vessel.
Chairman of the Port Authority Lyle Alexander agreed there was no cause to worry. He said, “if you have a vehicle out of a showroom it can develop mechanical issues, it is a mechanical device. Mechanical devices give mechanical problems,” Alexander said.
K74T wrote:Is he a marine engineer?
sMASH wrote:how were the passangers faring in this weather under the canopies ?
rspann wrote:These things happen on old or new vessels. It's no cause for concern. A new vehicle out the showroom get mechanical problems. These people for real. Duhhhh, if you buy a used Chinese vessel with damages that were repaired, this is what is going to happen .
Only waiting for them to spend$300 million on the new buses, and buy them from China. American ,
English and Swedish buses are in service for years without failure. These Higer buses from China are fairly new and all gone through. They don't think about longevity, is only how to link a pardna a deal and how much he kicking back.
Dey prob nyamin down on dirt right now cause was grass before...Numb3r4 wrote:Is Tobago "Red and Ready"?
De Dragon wrote:K74T wrote:Is he a marine engineer?
Is that needed to determine if the vessel that you are travelling on has stopped?
Is that needed to determine if what you heard on the PA system about a mechanical issue is true?
Its an old used boat...what u expecthydroep wrote:Electrical problems, running on 3 engines.
https://newsday.co.tt/2018/10/19/galleons-passage-electrical-issues/
Thing eh even make two weeks yet. Ah wonder if it under warranty?...
meccalli wrote:Ya'll need to be thankful our leaders foresaw our nation becoming semi aquatic and bought a river ferry. Soon we'll have it ready to conduct passages between north and south Trinidad on the uriah butler river.
toyolink wrote:Finally the boat can provide some relief.
One wonders if the Tobago business community can recover the losses sustained during this painful procurement process.
No more bad news with this vessel would be welcomed.
Single use craft. Contributing to ocean pollutionNumb3r4 wrote:The Galleons Passage lasted for what one maybe two trips....
maj. tom wrote:$8M for a ramp, must be rel fancy state of the art ramp boy.
TT Spirit goes ghost on seabridge
Kinnesha George
THE mechanical problems which led to the cancellation of Monday’s sailing of the TT Spirit and saw it pulled from the seabridge indefinitely have left Tobagonians feeling deja vu and disappointment.
The ferry was scheduled to leave Trinidad at 4pm on Monday but never left, and passengers had to rush to change their tickets.
The TT Inter-Island Transportation (TTIT) Co confirmed in a press release that there was an issue with the vessel, noting that the 6.30 am sailing from Tobago yesterday was also cancelled. It said the next sailing of the TT Spirit was scheduled for yesterday at 4pm from Port of Spain. However, a note on TTIT’s Facebook page told passengers that sailing had also been cancelled.
Chairman of the Port Authority, Lyle Alexander, told Newsday yesterday the ferry is “out of commission indefinitely due to mechanical issues” as parts from Germany were being awaited to do the repairs. He said the parts should arrive by today and is hoping for a speedy resolution.
Alexander’s optimism was not shared by THA minority councillor Dr Faith B Yisrael, who reiterated TT does not have a functioning inter-island transport system.
“I am almost annoyed that at this point we are still speaking about this,” she said. “It is time for Tobagonians to stand up.
“We remember we were here. We were at this very spot over a year ago talking about this very thing, and the PNM who are in charge of Tobago joked about the fact that there was the young man (livestock farmer complaining about ferry woes) with the goat right here at James Park, and years later we are still here.
President of the Tobago Unique Bed and Breakfast Self Catering Association Kaye Trotman labelled the situation a disappointment for the tourism sector.
“Will our boat woes ever be completely solved? It is yet to be seen. We were hoping with the Galleons Passage, and you had two vessels, we would hopefully see some turnaround in this quarter with some reliable sailing schedule.” Instead, Trotman added, “If it is that we have gone back to one boat, as it seems – and we’re probably likely to be there for a little while if the part has to be sourced from Germany – the impact on the sector would not be as we were hoping to experience this quarter.
“It’s another disappointment to the sector.”
She believes the Galleons Passage will not be able to service seabridge commuters operating on its own.
“I am not sure the one Galleons Passage, with the (sailing) timing that it has, would be sufficient to build back the confidence (of) the public and deal with the turnaround in the domestic area.”
