(UPDATED) Cargo boat arrives to service seabridge

MORE THAN two weeks after the MV Cabo Star went out of commission owing to a fire onboard the vessel, a replacement cargo ship, the Emprendedora, arrived in TT on Saturday to service the inter-island seabridge.

The Emprendedora, which came from neighbouring Venezuela, docked smoothly at the Port of Port of Spain around 12.50 pm, Port Authority of TT (PATT) chairman Lyle Alexander told Sunday Newsday.

Alexander could not say when the vessel will make its inaugural trip to Tobago.

“I would not venture to say. But we are hoping to get it into service as quickly as possible. Customs is here. They have to do their work and everybody else will do their stuff. When they are finished and they have all of their paperwork complete then we will put her on schedule,” he said.

Alexander said the schedule will be similar to that of the Cabo Star.

“It may not necessarily be the same time. But we are going to fit that in as best as we can.”

In the meantime, trucks transporting cargo are being accommodated on the Buccoo Reef, Galleons Passage and APT James.

The absence of the Cabo Star from the seabridge presented major challenges for Tobago businessmen, many of whom purchase goods and supplies in Trinidad.

As a result, several entrepreneurs reported shortages in food items and construction material.

On Friday, Kurt Warner, managing director, Penny Savers supermarket, claimed every business in Tobago has been affected by the absence of the Cabo Star.

“It would affect some greater than some but all businesses in Tobago are affected by that boat situation currently. That is the truth behind it,” he said.

Referring specifically to Penny Savers, which has three outlets on the island, Warner claimed there were shortages on various commodities across the board.

“Your basic everyday items – rice, flour, sugar. Bread was highlighted as a big thing the other day. Then there are meats, cold cuts, chicken, specialty meats, all those things are affected.”

Although the Emprendedora has been retained to restore some semblance of normalcy to the seabridge, businessmen are expressing concerns about its capacity.

Former head of the Tobago Chamber of Commerce Demi-John Cruickshank said in a television interview on Friday the vessel is much slower than the Cabo Star and would not move the same quantity of goods.

He said the Cabo Star usually carries between 130-150 trucks daily but the Emprendedora will only take between 35-40 trucks.

“It will take one-tenth of what the Cabo Star can hold. So you really cannot compare the two vessels. This vessel will bring basic items for us but this vessel is not going to be able to do what the Cabo Star has done or reverse the damage that has been done with the Cabo Star not being in operation.”

Cruickshank estimates the vessel will take about 12 hours to get to Tobago.

“So that vessel will not be able to sail every day. That vessel will sail every other day from Trinidad and that will take even longer to get goods to Tobago.”

He said businessmen are not willing to use the vessel beyond September 18 owing to several popular events that are scheduled to take place.

These include Republic Day festivities, the Blue Food Festival, Cycling Classic and October Carnival.

Cruickshank said on those days, cargo will be needed on the island.

In the House of Representatives on Friday, Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan apologised to the people of Tobago for the inconvenience they suffered owing to the Cabo Star being out of service.

Saying repairs to the Cabo Star are ongoing, Sinanan added the vessel should return to service by September 17.

Meanwhile, hoteliers are said to be quickly running out of food supplies for their menus.

Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association president Alpha Lorde told Sunday Newsday “supplies are running low.”

But he said nobody has reported any distinctive change in menu operations at the hotels so far.

“No one has reported that their operations are being adversely affected. Things are getting tight but nobody is saying, ‘I am in a crisis.’”

This story was originally published with the title "Replacement cargo vessel arrives for Tobago route" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

MORE THAN two weeks after the MV Cabo Star went out of commission owing to a fire onboard the vessel, a replacement cargo ship, the Emprendedora, arrived in TT on Saturday to service the inter-island seabridge.

The Emprendedora, which came from neighbouring Venezuela, docked smoothly at the Port of Port of Spain around 12.50 pm, Port Authority of TT (PATT) chairman Lyle Alexander told Sunday Newsday.

Alexander could not say when the vessel will make its inaugural trip to Tobago.

“I would not venture to say. But we are hoping to get it into service as quickly as possible. Customs is here. They have to do their work and everybody else will do their stuff. When they are finished and they have all of their paperwork complete then we will put her on schedule,” he said.

Alexander said the schedule will be similar to that of the Cabo Star.

“It may not necessarily be the same time. But we are going to fit that in as best as we can.”

In the meantime, trucks transporting cargo are being accommodated on the Buccoo Reef, Galleons Passage and APT James.