F A GAUTHIER

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Latest news

Ferry stuck in ice for hours

The “F.A.Gauthier” remained stuck for more than seven hours in the evening of Feb 15, 2022, off Matane, in Bas-Saint-Laurent. With 40 passengers on board, the ferry was blocked due to the massive ice cart that formed in the area. The passengers were taken care of by the Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ) during the wait. The delay disrupted the ferry schedule on Feb 16 and the departure from Matane to Baie-Comeau, on the North Shore, was thus delayed to 2 p.m. to allow employees to rest. To ensure that the "F.-A.-Gauthier" will be able to make the crossings in the coming days, the STQ has decided to modify the service schedule. Only one round trip per day will be operated between Matane and the North Shore to allow navigation in the light. The crew will thus be able to clearly see the ice floes. The STQ has not made a formal request to the Canadian Coast Guard for the assistance of an icebreaker. The Coast Guard has confirmed that the government has retained the services of the 'Océan Taïga', a tug designed for navigation in ice, to ensure the sector of the St. Lawrence Estuary. The ferry “Camille-Marcoux”, also had difficulty navigating in the thick ice.

Ferry will have to be drydocked again

Nearly 65 million Dollar have already been invested in the “F.-A.- Gauthier” by the Quebec taxpayers to offset the woes of the ferry, which provides crossings between the Côte-Nord and Bas-Saint-Laurent. The ship's thrusters have been lacking since December 2018. They were dismantled and rebuilt in an operation that took more than a year. Now the seals of the thrusters are in question. Already repaired twice, they must be changed again since the problem of oil leakage persists. The purchase of the parts from the manufacturer Steerprop will cost $ 390,506. The dry dock costs total $ 2.2 million. The Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ) has held out the possibility of asking for guarantees in order to obtain reimbursements from manufacturers. The situation is still progressing and being analyzed. The STQ will follow up closely and demand the guarantees that could be applicable from the manufacturer, if applicable

Ferry has to be drydocked again

The 'F.A.Gautier' will be drydocked again to resolve the oil leak problem. The ferry company launched the call for bids to secure a dry dock from Oct 15 to Dec 15 in order to carry out the works. The ferry was still struggling with oil leaks from the gaskets of its thrusters, which were repaired during the last dry docking. Tests continued on the ship, but everything indicated that work out of the water will be necessary to resolve the problem and should take place over the course of three weeks. Since returning to service in April, the ship continued to lose small amounts of oil, but can still navigate and service during peak season.