SPIRIT LASH... TT Spirit plagued with one problem after another

THE inter-island passenger ferry TT Spirit has been plagued with one problem after another since it went on drydock last year. Despite being serviced and parts either repaired or replaced, the vessel remains out of commission for one reason or the other.

Port Authority chairman Lyle Alexander yesterday said that in five sea trials, to test the Spirit’s readiness to resume operations on the floundering seabridge, new problems have been encountered.

Alexander blamed long-term lack of proper maintenance behind all of the problems now being discovered in the Spirit’s engines and support system.

Among the problems was engine failure last May, with the engines having to be sent in for repairs. It was found that two engines had to be rebuilt while another two had to be serviced.

Then a new crank shaft had to be acquired and two turbochargers for the engines, had to be replaced. All of these repairs and replacement parts for this one vessel, cost the State hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Alexander yesterday said the Spirit’s return to the seabridge has been delayed yet again when the latest sea test revealed a problem with the vessel’s cooling water pump.

This after repairs were effected to its radar system. Repairs to the radar system were done on Sunday night. Certain defective parts were replaced. The vessel needs a properly functioning radar system to be internationally certified as sea-worthy. The cost to repair the vessel’s radar system alone was US$20,000.

“As we went on the latest sea trial, a sea water pump stopped working. Once you start missing drydocking, once there is no routine maintenance...when you open her, you can find all kinds of problems,” Alexander said.

In an ironic twist, Newsday was told that parts needed to repair the vessel’s water cooling pump were stored in a warehouse in Tobago...but there was no ferry available to transport it to Trinidad.

The cargo ferry Cabo Star could not take the cooling pump replacement parts as there was no space. Caribbean Airlines (CAL) and LIAT have been picking up the slack left after the seabridge collapse, in facilitating ferry passengers with confirmed tickets. However, this arrangement was set to end yesterday.

Alexander said the sea water cooling pump parts were stored in Tobago because that was where the ferries are usually kept. The chairman said he is not worried about getting the parts down to Trinidad, eventually.

He voiced his concern at the cost and inconvenience being experienced by citizens both in Tobago and Trinidade because of the collapsed seabridge.

For his part, president of the Truckers’ Association Horace Amede said the situation with the TT Spirit being on extended drydock has put a serious strain on tourism and trade in Tobago.

“We have the foodstuff coming on on the Cabo Star, but we do not have the people to consume these items, we do not have the human customers to make use of our services in Tobago.

The food in Tobago will expire. There is an impact because of the seabridge being down. This has been ongoing since 2016. Nobody can come through the airport and for everyday you have to wait for standby you have to pay an extra $50. Tourism has gone down,” Amede said.

Amede said the intention was to send the vehicles on the Cabo Star while passengers would travel on CAL flights. However, Alexander said ferry passengers would show up before their scheduled times and would therefore have to wait on standby. He said since there would not be any sailing of the Cabo Star until tomorrow, this would compound the problems at the port and airports.

“I think the whole board should do like former chairman Alison Lewis and resign. I am certain if they give the NGOs (non-government organisations) like the inter-island transport committee and the Truckers Association the job, we could find vessels.

We submitted ten vessels to government on March 15, for both cargo and fast ferries which they could wet lease for a year. If they could service our vessels properly we could get out of this problem. We have been working tirelessly to assist them,” Amede said.

Attempts to contact Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan for comment yesterday were unsuccessful.