The Cat will come back
Contrary to widespread speculation last fall that the high-speed Cat ferry would not return to Portland this year to make runs to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, the city and company officials have confirmed that the vessel will be back for another season this summer.
High fuel costs and declining ridership made it doubtful Bay Ferries Ltd., the Canadian-based company that owns The Cat, would resume service in 2009. [See “Will The Cat Come Back?” October 2008.] The company needed an emergency cash subsidy from the Canadian government to continue the service last summer, and it cut two weekly trips from Portland to Yarmouth and ended its 2008 season eight days early.
“We’re sailing,” said George Driscoll, Bay Ferries’ vice president of marketing and sales.
Driscoll said the company will likely make an announcement about the upcoming season next week, and is still working on details related to the vessel’s schedule and ticket prices. He did not have any information on the possibility of additional government subsidies, but said the upcoming season will be “more or less similar” to the previous one.
Last week, Canadian officials announced an agreement to begin air service between the Portland International Jetport and the airport in Yarmouth. Two daily, round-trip flights will commence early next month.
Driscoll said Bay Ferries views this potentially competitive service as a positive thing. “I applaud anything that brings visibility to Yarmouth and Nova Scotia,” he said.
Though some travelers will obviously opt to fly, rather than sail, between the cities, The Cat offers passengers the opportunity to bring their vehicle on the trip. “You really can’t fit a car in an overhead bin,” Driscoll quipped.
The Cat sails from Portland’s new Ocean Gateway terminal on the eastern waterfront. Its ticket office at the terminal will reopen this May.
— Chris Busby
