The Government of Montserrat is pleased to announce the return of a permanent ferry service between Antigua and Montserrat from December 2^nd, 2009. The MV Deluxe out of Anguilla will provide short term ferry service during the December period.  The schedule for the MV deluxe commences on Wednesday December 02, 2009 with service Friday and Saturday for that first week and Mondays to Saturdays thereafter to December 31, 2009.  The expected departure from Montserrat on the MV Deluxe is 7:30 a.m. arriving in Antigua 8:45 a.m. and departing from Antigua approximately 5:30 p.m. arriving in Montserrat 6:45 p.m.

The ferry the MV Fjortof will be partially owned by the Government of Antigua & Barbuda and the Government of Montserrat and operated by Twin Island Ferries Services Ltd (TIFS).  It will offer service all year round commencing in the latter half of December and will provide Montserrat with two (2) daily return trips on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.  On the other days the ferry will be servicing the Antigua to Barbuda route.  However, additional sailings to Montserrat will be arranged as required for special events and other peak traffic periods.

Docking in Antigua for both ferry services will be at the Nevis Street Ferry Terminal which is next to Heritage Quay ferry and cruise terminal.  Both ferries are each capable of accommodating at least 100 persons comfortably, as well as light cargo and passenger baggage. The fares for the ferry service will be EC$150.00 for a one-way-trip (EC$300.00 for a return trip).

Special day trip packages utilizing the ferry will also be available through day tour operators based in Antigua and Montserrat.

For additional information, visit www.visitMontserrat.com

New ferry service will begin between Montserrat and Antigua in January 2010. Sailing under the name Fjortoft, the ferry— a 101-seater vessel capable to 28 knots— will be operated jointly by the government of Montserrat, the government of Antigua, and the Barbuda Island Council. The ferry has the potential to move up to 400 persons per week.

The ferry sails from Southampton, England, on November 17, and will arrive in St. Thomas, USVI, on December 6. The first sailing will take place in early 2010 as the ferry will go through its final checks in St. Kitts during the last two weeks of December. The government of Montserrat moved to cover the high travel period in December by contracting a short term ferry, similar to last year. This service will begin on December 2 and will be for at least six weeks.

For full article, see http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-19746–10-10–.html

Photo of a view of Montserrat from Antigua (by Jeremy Payne) http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremypayne/3773365249/

West Vancouver is getting a private ferry service which will take passengers from the 14th St Pier to the foot of Bute Street in downtown Vancouver. Six sailings are expected to run Monday to Friday, split between two rush-hour shifts, with a total one-way trip time of approximately 15 minutes. The morning sailings are tentatively scheduled for 7:30, 8 and 8:30 a.m. and the afternoon sailings for 4:30, 5 and 5:30 p.m. The cost for the ferry ride would be $5 one-way and $9 round trip. A special introductory fee of $4 one-way and $7 round trip would be in effect for the first month of operation. I’m excited!

At long last, it seems that there may be a way to explore the Eastern Caribbean in a rational manner through a new ferry service that will connect Barbados, St. Lucia, Trinidad, Grenada and St. Vincent. The service, which joins the connections between Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, and St. Lucia offered by L’Express des îles, is expected to start operating daily by late October, according to Grenada-based BEDY Ocean Line. Prices will range from $120 to $140, and some trips will last up to nearly four hours, CEO Benjamin Ross said Tuesday. (See schedule information here Schedule information for new Caribbean ferry)

The announcement comes as travelers face pricier airline tickets, increased baggage restrictions and canceled flights by regional carrier LIAT due to wage disputes. It would also help travelers who often need to make complicated connections to reach islands that are within a few miles of each other. One ferry will be based in St. Vincent and serve Barbados and St. Lucia, while another will operate out of Grenada and serve Trinidad and Barbados, Ross said. Between 260 to 300 seats will be available per ferry. Passengers will be allowed to carry two 60-pound (27-kilogram) suitcases without charge, and alcohol is prohibited on board.

In 2005, Barbadian company Remac Tours announced it would offer ferry service between Barbados and Guadeloupe, with stops in St. Lucia, Dominica and Martinique. But the service was never begun for internal reasons not related to costs or demand, CEO Reynold McClean said. Currently, in addition to L’Express des îles, only a couple of ferries operate between Florida and the Bahamas and among Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.

Travel by Ferry between the islands of Providenciales, North Caicos and even Middle Caicos has become a popular commute for many and a growing business market….however due to pending legal action one ferry service may be forced to close..

Relief is on the way for stranded holidaymakers on Rottnest Island after a major ferry service decided to brave dubious weather conditions this weekend.

Rottnest Express had cancelled services until Monday, after forecasts of gale-force winds. It left up to 200 people stranded on the island until at least Monday, after the other operator, Oceanic Express, also decided against taking to the sea this weekend.

But Rottnest Express today decided to run skeleton services this weekend, with four trips to the island, and two back, tomorrow and Sunday.

Chief executive Tim Crosland said the company believed it had an obligation to always provide services “if safe”.

Each scheduled journey would be assessed on the prevailing weather conditions, he said.

Oceanic Express is running a service today for pre-booked passengers.

Source www.watoday.com.au

City services will be sharply curtailed if Toronto workers walk off the job late Sunday night, officials said yesterday – but property taxes are due as usual.

As the city announced plans to close daycare centres, suspend garbage pickup and cancel ferry service for Toronto Island picnickers in the event of a strike, it reminded residents that property tax bills have been issued and remain “due as per the due dates identified on your tax bill.”

And just a reminder: Parking enforcement officers, who aren’t part of either local, will remain on the job if there’s a strike, handing out tickets as usual.

City manager Joe Pennachetti told a packed City Hall news conference yesterday that the city still hopes to avoid a strike: “We do not want a strike, and we believe a strike is unnecessary.”

But he repeated the city’s bargaining mantra that money is tight.

“During a recession, demand for city services increases while the revenue to pay the cost of delivering these services is generally reduced,” he said. “Therefore, the cost of our wages and benefits needs to reflect what is truly affordable.”

Meanwhile, Pat Daley, a spokesperson for the Canadian Union of Public Employees, painted a grim picture, saying no significant progress has been made since last week, when union leaders warned the talks were heading for trouble.

“No, things are not looking great,” Daley told reporters. The union says the city initially tabled 118 pages of concessions, and “most of that stuff is still there,” Daley said.

Both CUPE Local 416, representing outside workers, and Local 79, representing inside workers, are in a legal strike position as of one minute past midnight on Monday morning.

The city unveiled its contingency plans yesterday.

At the top of the list of hardships: 57 daycare centres will close their doors if workers strike.

Garbage pickup is another huge headache, although Etobicoke residents won’t be affected because they have pickup by a private firm, as do residents of most highrise buildings.

But as of Tuesday (there’s no pickup on Mondays), 400,000 single-family households would have no garbage service, leaving residents with the choice of storing trash on their property or lugging it to one of seven transfer stations around the city.

About 20,000 businesses would also be affected.

Additional drop-off sites will be announced if a strike is prolonged.

“It’s certainly going to be a skeleton service here, and it’s going to be hardship to a lot of people,” said Councillor Doug Holyday (Ward 3, Etobicoke Centre).

Mayor David Miller, who has left the job of negotiating to city staff, “will be on the job no matter what the situation,” spokesman Stuart Green said yesterday.

He wouldn’t say whether Miller would cross picket lines to reach his office.

Miller and other councillors won’t have to worry about doing so to attend council meetings, however: They’ll be cancelled for the duration because the support staff who prepare documents, set up sound systems and take minutes are union members.

A strike could spell trouble for the Pride Parade on June 28, but city officials said Pride and other festivals can go ahead if organizers make arrangements for services such as street cleanup, which is normally provided by city workers.

Tracey Sandilands, executive director for Gay Pride, said event organizers have contingency plans in place, including paying $15,000 to $20,000 to a private company to handle garbage generated from all official Pride Week events.

“We won’t be leaving the (Gay Pride) sites full of garbage,” she said.

Daley said the union would be “very disappointed to see someone else hired to do our members’ work if they’re on strike, especially with Pride.”

Unhappy observers of yesterday’s strike plans included Toronto’s non-unionized professional and technical staff, who have their own association. City council froze their cost of living increases for this year, with a 1 per cent increase for next year.

Richard Majkot, executive director of the staff association, said the non-union staff still feel bruised.

“They’re going to be there to assist the city,” he said. “They may not be as eager as they normally would be to help the city, but they’re going to be there.”

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/652731

• Lake Michigan ferry makes its first trip of the season. http://tinyurl.com/phnaur 12:58:23
• PBS to air a series on the Great Lakes. http://tinyurl.com/p5vqmn 13:00:19
• Slow times at the Port of Milwaukee. http://tinyurl.com/ofdxfy 13:02:02
• Ontario elementary school students help in Atlantic salmon restoration project. http://tinyurl.com/o2sfwj 13:08:39

I’m posting just to inform everyone that the existing New York Waterway ferry, with service from Haverstraw to the Ossining Metro-North train station is SAFE from budget cuts. Unfortunately, the recent NY Water Taxi ferry pilot program, with service from Haverstraw to Yonkers and Lower Manhattan will be no more. With the ailing economy, Albany and the federal government has decided to suspend the service from Haverstraw and retain the service running from Yonkers. Most politicians, however, have stated that they hope and envision the reintroduction of the Manhattan-direct ferry service once the economy rebounds. Read more about the suspended NY Water Taxi service here: http://villageofhaverstraw.wordpress.com/2009/04/02/water-taxi-to-suspend-service-from-haverstraw/

I have sad news to report. Amid the depressed regional and national economy, another bright spot in Haverstraw is no more. The New York Water Taxi service, that ferries commuters between Haverstraw, Yonkers, and Lower Manhattan, is facing the budgetary chopping block. Unless the State Legislature can find funds to support the ferry’s dwindling on-board revenues (the bad economy is sucking jobs out of Manhattan), the ferry will be terminated on May 1, 2009. Rockland County has worked very diligently to supply Rockland commuters with a “one-seat” ride to Manhattan via ferry. The County is choosing their words carefully when they say the service will be “suspended,” hinting that they may reinstate the services when the economy rebounds. This suspension does not affect the wildly successful New York Waterway ferry services that operates from Haverstraw to Ossining. Unfortunately, by the time the economy does rebound, we will be facing $5.00 gasoline once again, and this time, we’ll be LESS prepared. Thank you New York State!

Here’s a clip from the Water Taxi’s recent Press Release:

New York, NY – New York Water Taxi (NYWT) will suspend commuter service on its Hudson River Line between Haverstraw (Rockland County) and the World Financial Center and Pier 11 (Wall Street) in Lower Manhattan effective Friday, May 1, 2009 while additional funding sources are being explored.

The service was originally launched as a pilot program in September 2007 to test the viability of direct waterborne transportation service between Haverstraw and Lower Manhattan. Between 2008 and 2009 there has been a 30% increase in ridership on the route.

”This ferry service has been providing our commuters with a valuable one-seat-ride to Lower Manhattan – a travel option Rockland County has worked diligently to establish,” said C. Scott Vanderhoef, County Executive. “We have made tremendous efforts to secure operating funds to sustain and grow this service, but to date, have been unable to secure additional funding.

This service is a pilot project, and has successfully demonstrated that with regional cooperation, the logistics of a Hudson Valley to Manhattan ferry service are achievable. In the future, with a revitalized employment market in Lower Manhattan and increased availability of funding, we hope to be able to resume service.”

New York Water Taxi will continue to run service between Yonkers and Lower Manhattan. Frequency of service is currently being examined. Also, please see another, more optimistic quote from riders and officials:

“I don’t think it was doomed to fail,” Water Taxi President Tom Fox said. “Everybody thought we would be able to continue it by getting additional funding, but the (economic) climate changed.”

David Simpson, a spokesman for Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone, said ridership had been growing steadily in the city, and with peak season approaching, it was important to keep the ferries running.

“To be a brand-new service, we’re right where we expected to be in terms of ridership,” he said.

Yonkers is looking for $3.5 million, which will cover operating costs for another three years. It is working with Westchester County to secure federal stimulus dollars.

There is still some money left to keep service going in Yonkers, but officials are looking for ways to stretch those dollars, which might lead to fewer ferry runs.

Vinnie Wilson, who catches the ferry from Yonkers, was hopeful not only that all of the Yonkers runs would survive, but also that service to Rockland eventually would return.

“We need to look a little past what’s going on right now,” said Wilson, a marketing project manager for American Express. “If we don’t invest in the future, we’ll be facing the same problems again.”

• East coast icebreaker heads to the Great Lakes. Duluth News Tribune

• Lake Michigan water levels are still down by a foot and demand continues to increase for Great Lakes water. Schaumburg Review

• Wisconsin may have the jump on Michigan in the race to install wind power. Mlive/Muskegon News

• Looking at Lake Michigan ferry service for the 2009 season. Mlive/Muskegon News

McLaren Engineering Group of West Nyack has been working diligently on the design of the Ferry Terminal, retail spaces, and parking garage that is to be situated at the foot of Main Street in the Village. The massive project will allow for the New York Waterway Ferry and New York Water Taxi service to move from the current ferry landing to the foot of Main Street and at Emeline Park for broader access by Village and regional residents. The project is viewed as a long-awaited catalyst to return the Village downtown to its former splendor. Many residents and commuters are excited for the new ferry facility and pier. Officials believe that project will be operational within the next three years. Here are notable renderings from the project:

www.mgmclaren.com

Though Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan sank before it was ever launched, perhaps the city council’s newest efforts to relieve New York’s roadways will be able to float: five-borough ferry service.

At 7 a.m. this morning, a 250-passenger ferry left Breezy Point, Queens on its first commute to lower Manhattan. For six dollars, commuters can trade in their congested highways or a packed A train for a leisurely hour long ride to the city.

Listen to the audio piece.

The New York Water Taxi is lowering its fares from Haverstraw and Yonkers to Lower Manhattan! At a time when other modes of commute are getting costlier due to higher gas prices, tolls, and train fares, the ferry route is getting cheaper. The Water Taxi is lowering its fares ahead of the summer season, in hopes of increasing ridership on the ferry. The new fare from Haverstraw to Lower Manhattan are $12.00 one-way, down from $15.00. The new fare from Yonkers to Lower Manhattan is $10.00 one-way, down from $12.00. Rides between Yonkers and Haverstraw will now be $5.00. Visit the New York Water Taxi website for more information: http://www.nywatertaxi.com/commuters/hudsonriver/

Since 2001, the New York Waterway ferry service to Ossining from Haverstraw has been ushering commuters to and from the MetroNorth Railroad Hudson Line that provides service to Grand Central Terminal in midtown Manhattan. At the time of its inception, the ferry was only expected to carry up to 200 passengers a day to and from Ossining. Today, to much excitement, the ferry service provides over 250 daily rides and is expected to continue to grow by nearly 5% or more each year in the future. Planners and politicians cite rising gas prices, roadway toll increase, and increasing congestion on area highways as reasons for the high ridership and even higher ridership projections for the ferry. The MTA and NY Waterway hope to expand the service in the near future to include more off-peak service, which includes midday and late-night rides. Haverstraw residents are excited for the service expansions as they will be able to use the ferry for more than just commuting, like nights out on the town and excursions in the city. The ferry service has also received heavy funding from the federal government to build and operate out of a new ferry pier and terminal at the foot of Main Street in Emeline Park in the Village of Haverstraw.

The Supreme Court Appellate Division in White Plains has ruled to deny the owners of the Empire State Chair Factory site the ability to resist eminent domain proceedings by the Village of Haverstraw. The site is included in the Village urban renewal district and is the third phase of waterfront development. The Village will condemn the property and then hand it over for development by Ginsburg Development Companies (GDC). The legal proceedings have put the project on hold for almost four years; the ferries (NY Water Taxi and NY Waterway) are to be moved to the end of Main Street to a new pier and phased construction of structured parking and retail can then continue at the site. The current site owners have said that they plan to refine their appeal; they will not give up their fight. It seems, though, that their fight is hopeless and they are only delaying much-needed development on the waterfront.