Buccoo Reef not yet ready to sail to Tobago

Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan has said Trinidad and Tobago's new fast ferry, the Buccoo Reef, is not yet ready to make its inaugural sailing to Tobago.

The Buccoo Reef, which arrived on April 7 from Tasmania, Australia, remains docked at the Port Authority’s Cruise Ship Complex, Port-of-Spain.

The vessel, built by the Incat shipyard, has a capacity to accommodate 1,000 people.

But when the catamaran gets the green light to sail to Tobago, it will carry half its capacity, owing to the restrictions to curb the spike in covid19 cases.

Speaking to Newsday, Sinanan said a date has not yet been set for the vessel’s inaugural sailing.

“The Buccoo Reef is there. It is going through its normal procedures and that is where we are. We have not put a date yet for its inaugural sailing,” he said. “I don’t want to give a date or anything as yet because we have make sure everything is in place.”

Sinanan said the Buccoo Reef has to go through its quarantine period for staff “and everything has to be certified.

“So all that is being done as we speak.”

Sinanan said there is no rush to get the vessel on the sea.

“There are three vessels operating (APT James, Cabo Star and TT Spirit).

“And we are down to 50 per cent capacity on the vessels. But we have three vessels operating. So we are going through the procedures.”