NIDCO: Galleons Passage ferry set to reach Trinidad on April 28

SASHA HARRINANAN

The MV Galleons Passage has an updated arrival date in Trinidad – April 28, National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (NIDCO) yesterday announced.

The news comes eight days after Finance Minister Colm Imbert tweeted that Chinese New Year celebrations had "unavoidably delayed" the acquisition of required permits for the ferry's trans-Pacific voyage from China to TT.

The Catamaran RoRo passenger ferry, built according to Lloyd’s Register Rules and Regulations for Classification of Special Service Craft, was bought by the government to service the beleaguered inter-island sea-bridge.

NIDCO said with celebrations having ended yesterday, the vessel is now scheduled to depart the shipyard in Nansha, China on February 27 and arrive in Trinidad on April 28, "all good weather permitting."

There will be stop-overs along the route. Hong Kong for bunkering for one day then Honolulu, Hawaii for bunkering for one day. After that, the Galleons Passage will be transiting through the Panama Canal for two days before its final stop-over in Cuba for alterations over a ten-day period.

These alternations include a "full canopy over sundeck, installation of canopies over exposed sections of vehicle deck and installation of washroom facilities at sundeck level – all in accordance with details as agreed to with the buyer," NIDCO said.