Nova Star to ferry passengers across Strait of Gibraltar

PORTLAND, Maine – The Nova Star ferry, which had two unsuccessful seasons carrying passengers between Maine and Nova Scotia, has a new job moving people across the Strait of Gibraltar.

Inter Shipping, a company that operates ferries connecting Morocco with Spain, is chartering the Nova Star from its owner, ST Marine, according to the trade publication Shippax.

The Nova Star will make crossings between Algeciras, Spain, and Tangier, Morocco. The route is popular among North African workers, particularly during Ramadan, a monthlong Muslim holiday.

The Nova Star’s new line of work is not going as smoothly as expected, however.

Shippax reports that the ferry’s bow ramp is too short for the berth in Tangier, and the ramp will have to be extended before the ferry can operate.

The vessel has had a string of bad luck since ST Marine built it in its Singapore shipyard six years ago for the French company, LD Lines, for a route between Portsmouth, England, and Le Havre, France.

After the ship underwent sea trials in 2010, the French company terminated its $179 million contract, citing a delay in construction and the vessel’s inability to safely carry as much cargo as expected.

A Maine company, Quest Navigation, later secured the trip and established a joint venture with ST Marine to operate a ferry service between Portland and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

The service ended in October after two disappointing years. Nova Scotia taxpayers spent more than $40 million (Canadian) subsidizing the service, which failed to attract enough passengers to sustain operations without high subsidies.

The U.S. Marshals Service in October seized the ferry for debts that exceeded $3 million. ST Marine in December paid off most of its debts and posted a $750,000 surety bond, allowing the vessel to leave port.

The Nova Scotia government and the Canadian company Bay Ferries have been in talks about starting another ferry service on the same route this summer. But those discussions have stalled because Bay Ferries has struggled to find a vessel.