Unfinished Galleons sails

THE Galleons Passage fast ferry has left Cuba for TT. Acting prime minister Colm Imbert made this announcement in the House of Representatives yesterday. "The Government has taken a decision to bring the vessel to Trinidad immediately," he said.

Imbert explained this decision was made after the vessel's seller, Sea Transport Corporation of Australia, was unable to complete retrofitting work in Cuba. The purchase agreement for the US$17.4 million catamaran involved separate upgrade works to be done by the seller (Sea Transport) and the buyer, the National Infrastructure Development Company (Nidco).

Imbert explained that the seller made a contractual arrangement with the Damex Shipyard in Cuba to do work there on the Galleons Passage. Nidco had a separate contract with this shipyard to do its upgrade on the vessel.

Imbert said Government was recently informed by the seller it could not bring some equipment and materials from Australia to Cuba to complete its work on Galleons Passage. This, Imbert said, was because Cuba is still an embargoed nation for many countries. This did not make it easy for Cuba to receive shipments from nation's like Australia.

As a result, Imbert said the Galleons Passage will be brought to TT and, "be put into service very soon." He did not give a time frame for the vessel's arrival from Cuba. The Galleons Passage arrived in Cuba on May 27, after its trans-Pacific journey from China to Hawaii and through the Panama Canal.

Imbert said any outstanding enhancement work to be done on the Galleons Passage will be done in TT on a phased basis. Imbert said this will happen, "while the boat is transporting passengers to and from Tobago."

He dismissed Opposition claims the vessel is not classified. "The vessel was classified by Lloyd's of London in its original condition as being suitable for coastal transport of passengers and cargo.The vessel is already classified," he declared.

Imbert added, "The enhancement works to be done on the vessel are simply to make the vessel more comfortable for the people of TT." He reiterated that some retrofitting was done on the Galleons Passage in Cuba.

Later in the sitting, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan said the cost of dry docking the TT Spirit was US$10,199,000. The repair and maintenance cost for the Express is US$807,117. Sinanan said the Spirit, which now back on the seabridge, did not sail from May 15 2017 to April 16 this year.

On June 14, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young said Government has received proposals for vessels from Australian shipbuilders Incat and Austal. Incat's proposal is for two fast ferries. The Austal proposal is for two fast ferries and a Cape Class patrol boat for the Coast Guard. These proposals arose from Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley's working visit to Australia last month.

Incat and Austal representatives will be invited within the next two weeks, after an evaluation committee has studied their proposals. “We want to proceed with those vessels as quickly as possible," Young said.