MV Qajaq W
Canadian ferry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
MV Qajaq W is a Canadian roll-on/roll-off passenger and vehicle ferry operated by Labrador Marine on the Strait of Belle Isle route between St. Barbe, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Blanc-Sablon, Quebec. Built in 2010 as Muhumaa for Saaremaa Shipping Company, she later operated in Germany as Grete before being acquired for service in Canada.
- 2010–2017: Muhumaa
- 2017–2018: Grete
- 2018–present: Qajaq W
CanadaQajaq W entering Blanc-Sablon harbour | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner | Labrador Marine Services Inc. |
| Operator | Labrador Marine |
| Port of registry | St. John's, Canada |
| Route | St. Barbe–Blanc-Sablon |
| Builder | Fiskerstrand Verft, Norway |
| Yard number | 63 |
| Completed | 2010 |
| Identification | IMO number: 9474060 |
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | MM90FC |
| Type | Roll-on/roll-off passenger ferry |
| Tonnage | 5,233 GT |
| Length | 97.84 m (321.0 ft) |
| Beam | 18.00 m (59.06 ft) |
| Draught | 4.2 m (14 ft) |
| Ice class | ICE-1A |
| Installed power | 2 × Wärtsilä 6L20 and 2 × Wärtsilä 8L20 diesel generator sets |
| Propulsion | Diesel-electric; two azimuth thrusters |
| Speed | 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Capacity | 300 passengers; 120 vehicles; 8 tractor-trailers |
Construction
The vessel was built to the MM90FC-class design by Multi Maritime, and the hull was built and partly outfitted by Fiskerstrand BLRT in Klaipėda, Lithuania.[1] The ship was delivered to Saaremaa Shipping Company in March 2010 as the first of three sister ferries ordered under the same programme.[1]
As built, the MM90FC design measured about 97.9 m (321 ft) in overall length, with a moulded beam of 18.0 m (59.1 ft), gross tonnage of 5,233, and DNV ICE-1A classification.[2] Propulsion is diesel-electric, using four Wärtsilä diesel generator sets and two azimuthing propulsion units.[1]
Service history
The ship entered service as Muhumaa, serving ferry routes between mainland Estonia and the western Estonian islands.[1] She was later renamed Grete and used on the Elbe ferry route between Cuxhaven and Brunsbüttel in Germany.[3]
In 2018, Labrador Marine acquired the vessel for ferry service in Newfoundland and Labrador. In January 2019, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced that the renamed Qajaq W would enter service on the Strait of Belle Isle crossing earlier than expected, replacing the 49-year-old Apollo.[4] Before the vessel entered service, Aker Arctic assessed the hull and propulsion systems for operation in the Strait of Belle Isle.[5] The vessel was retrofitted to carry up to 300 passengers, 120 passenger vehicles, and 8 tractor-trailers.[4]
Qajaq W mainly operates between St. Barbe and Blanc-Sablon, a 36 km (22 mi) crossing with a scheduled duration of around 1 hour and 45 minutes.[6] Ice conditions in the Strait of Belle Isle can increase the crossing time or disrupt sailings.[6] In February 2020, the provincial government said that heavy ice and an ice ridge were creating unsafe conditions for both Qajaq W and Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers assisting the service.[7]