Ferry Service from Portland to Yarmouth might resume

[roadman65]

http://www.theforecaster.net/news/print/2013/09/10/portland-nova-scotia-ferry-service-expected-begin/172002
Article claims that defunct ferry service might be reinstated again.  However, do not count on the CAT ferryboat as they have planned another slow going ocean vessel to make the trip again.

[Pete from Boston]

Has anyone taken this boat?  Typical of this board, I like the out-of-the-way long drives, but I've done this one and can see the draw in buying a shorter trip to NS.  But not necessarily both ways, and not necessarily anytime soon, and not necessarily ever.  In other words, I've always been skeptical of the market for this expensive service, particularly given its regular association with, well, failure.

[1995hoo]

By "this boat" I assume you mean any of the previous ferry services between Maine and Nova Scotia. I rode the old Bluenose one-way from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth in August 1982 (7.5-hour ride) and I rode the Cat Ferry both ways between Portland and Yarmouth in July 2008 (5.5-hour ride).

I don't know what the Bluenose cost because I was a kid. The Cat was expensive. I think we paid $730 roundtrip. The time savings were quite significant on the Cat, however, and it gave us the ability to go around the Lighthouse Route (southeastern coast) when we arrived in Nova Scotia and then to visit Annapolis Royal and the Digby Pines resort on our way back down to Yarmouth after returning from Cape Breton Island. (On the 1982 trip we went to Newfoundland for a few days, went around the Cabot Trail, then returned to the USA through New Brunswick.) I would use a ferry of that sort again, but I'm less interested in a slower-speed vessel. The 5.5-hour trip between Portland and Yarmouth was a major time savings.

I suppose for me the other reason to drive instead would be to finish off the northern portion of I-95 and to travel through some parts of New Brunswick I haven't seen. I've been pondering whether it would be feasible to take a golf vacation to Newfoundland some summer, and in that case driving all the way to North Sydney makes more sense than taking a ferry to southern Nova Scotia. (But I have a feeling the Wife Acceptance Factor for a drive from Virginia to North Sydney, followed by a long ferry ride to Newfoundland and then more driving, is probably about zero.)

It'll be interesting to see whether the new ferry can carry commercial traffic. The Cat didn't carry trucks. I'm sure that didn't help financially because it made them almost completely dependent on the tourist market, which is a problem when the economy is in the toilet.

[Alps]

I've done the old ferry, which is when I discovered I was prone to seasickness, but it's definitely a huge time savings over driving. (We drove up through NB and decided to do something different to come back.) Cost-wise, you probably save over gas prices now, though back then it may have been slightly more expensive to ferry. Don't know what pricing was/will be to make that judgment.

[1995hoo]

I've done the old ferry, which is when I discovered I was prone to seasickness, but it's definitely a huge time savings over driving. (We drove up through NB and decided to do something different to come back.) Cost-wise, you probably save over gas prices now, though back then it may have been slightly more expensive to ferry. Don't know what pricing was/will be to make that judgment.

I doubt the savings on gas is all that significant unless your vehicle is a major gas-guzzler. It's around 720 miles from Portland to Yarmouth using Route 9 across Maine from Bangor to Calais. My Acura isn't the most fuel-efficient vehicle out there, although I suppose it does pretty well on the highway when I can keep it in sixth gear (I was averaging 30 mpg at an average 73 mph on the way to Florida a few weeks ago). But even so, 720 miles out on the highway is less than two full tanks for me unless I hit serious traffic (city driving is a whole 'nother story). These days I typically wind up paying around $55.00 for a fillup (93 octane), although of course gas costs more in Canada as well.  Figure three tanks at $55.00 per tank and one at $75.00 per tank and you're still only at $240.00 roundtrip, which is a lot cheaper than the ferry was in 2008. But of course that doesn't factor in the value of your time. I wouldn't value the time at the hourly rate I bill clients, obviously, but one's time isn't worthless either. I suppose the true cost would also include some limited amount of wear and tear on your car, though there's no good way to account for that unless you price out the distance using a fixed cost rate like the IRS or GSA mileage rates. But it's probably unreasonable for a leisure traveller to apply the IRS business travel rate (currently 56.5¢ per mile).

Depending on the timing and one's driving stamina, driving could add an additional lodging expense, so there's that to consider.

[Alps]

I've done the old ferry, which is when I discovered I was prone to seasickness, but it's definitely a huge time savings over driving. (We drove up through NB and decided to do something different to come back.) Cost-wise, you probably save over gas prices now, though back then it may have been slightly more expensive to ferry. Don't know what pricing was/will be to make that judgment.

I doubt the savings on gas is all that significant unless your vehicle is a major gas-guzzler. It's around 720 miles from Portland to Yarmouth using Route 9 across Maine from Bangor to Calais. My Acura isn't the most fuel-efficient vehicle out there, although I suppose it does pretty well on the highway when I can keep it in sixth gear (I was averaging 30 mpg at an average 73 mph on the way to Florida a few weeks ago). But even so, 720 miles out on the highway is less than two full tanks for me unless I hit serious traffic (city driving is a whole 'nother story). These days I typically wind up paying around $55.00 for a fillup (93 octane), although of course gas costs more in Canada as well.  Figure three tanks at $55.00 per tank and one at $75.00 per tank and you're still only at $240.00 roundtrip, which is a lot cheaper than the ferry was in 2008. But of course that doesn't factor in the value of your time. I wouldn't value the time at the hourly rate I bill clients, obviously, but one's time isn't worthless either. I suppose the true cost would also include some limited amount of wear and tear on your car, though there's no good way to account for that unless you price out the distance using a fixed cost rate like the IRS or GSA mileage rates. But it's probably unreasonable for a leisure traveller to apply the IRS business travel rate (currently 56.5¢ per mile).

Depending on the timing and one's driving stamina, driving could add an additional lodging expense, so there's that to consider.

If I use a cost of about 35 cents/mile for gas plus wear/tear and incidental risks, that yields $250 one way. I'd be surprised if the ferry cost much more than that - both Newfoundland ferries were cheaper than that.

[mtantillo]

I've done the old ferry, which is when I discovered I was prone to seasickness, but it's definitely a huge time savings over driving. (We drove up through NB and decided to do something different to come back.) Cost-wise, you probably save over gas prices now, though back then it may have been slightly more expensive to ferry. Don't know what pricing was/will be to make that judgment.

I doubt the savings on gas is all that significant unless your vehicle is a major gas-guzzler. It's around 720 miles from Portland to Yarmouth using Route 9 across Maine from Bangor to Calais. My Acura isn't the most fuel-efficient vehicle out there, although I suppose it does pretty well on the highway when I can keep it in sixth gear (I was averaging 30 mpg at an average 73 mph on the way to Florida a few weeks ago). But even so, 720 miles out on the highway is less than two full tanks for me unless I hit serious traffic (city driving is a whole 'nother story). These days I typically wind up paying around $55.00 for a fillup (93 octane), although of course gas costs more in Canada as well.  Figure three tanks at $55.00 per tank and one at $75.00 per tank and you're still only at $240.00 roundtrip, which is a lot cheaper than the ferry was in 2008. But of course that doesn't factor in the value of your time. I wouldn't value the time at the hourly rate I bill clients, obviously, but one's time isn't worthless either. I suppose the true cost would also include some limited amount of wear and tear on your car, though there's no good way to account for that unless you price out the distance using a fixed cost rate like the IRS or GSA mileage rates. But it's probably unreasonable for a leisure traveller to apply the IRS business travel rate (currently 56.5¢ per mile).

Depending on the timing and one's driving stamina, driving could add an additional lodging expense, so there's that to consider.

If I use a cost of about 35 cents/mile for gas plus wear/tear and incidental risks, that yields $250 one way. I'd be surprised if the ferry cost much more than that - both Newfoundland ferries were cheaper than that.

Newfoundland ferries are subsidized by Transport Canada, as part of it's national duties for connecting Newfoundland to the rest of the country.  The Nova Scotia ferries will be subsidized by Nova Scotia to get tourists in and out, but I wouldn't imagine the subsidy would be nearly as high for discretionary travelers as opposed to those with no choice.