Controversial Canadian ferries bound for new duty in the Gulf

Two of the three FastCat ferries bought by Abu Dhabi Mar are seen at a dry dock in North Vancouver.

Abu Dhabi // A handful of Vancouver citizens gathered over the weekend to wave goodbye to one of the city's infamous FastCat ferries as it began a lengthy voyage to Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Mar, a yacht builder and refurbisher, bought three of the catamaran-style ferries from a Canadian company last month. The first, Voyager, was loaded onto a cargo ship and began its 40-day journey to the Gulf on Saturday.

The company will refit the ferries for use in the Gulf and begin operating them next year. Route details, fares and freight charges are scheduled to be released in late September, but destinations are likely to include Qatar, Bahrain and possibly southern Iran. The high-speed ferries caused a political scandal in Vancouver, leaving the career of the British Columbia premier who commissioned them in tatters.

Built by the government with hopes of reviving the local shipbuilding industry, they cost more than C$450 million (Dh1.5 billion), more than double their original budget. When the ferries finally made it to the water, they had to be withdrawn from service and were sold to a Canadian company for just $20m. Abu Dhabi Mar did not disclose how much it paid for the ferries. "The route [where they were used in Vancouver] was too short to take advantage of the vessels' speed, and the cost of operation compared to a conventional ferry on the same route was very high," said John Mears, president of the company that loaded the ferries for their trip to Abu Dhabi.

The ferries, which operate at 68kph, have very high fuel consumption and were prone to breaking down. They also caused a large wake in the shallow waters around Vancouver, reportedly damaging waterfront homes near the ferry route. Abu Dhabi Mar said it did not envision the same problem in the Arabian Gulf, because it is deeper. "I think all of BC is glad to see them finally go to an area where they can be used. It's been painful to have them tied up in Vancouver not being used," Mr Mears said.

The ships are virtually brand new, with Voyager never having carried any passengers. Each vessel has space for 1,000 passengers and up to 250 vehicles, depending on their size. The first ferry is expected to arrive around October 6. The next cargo ship is scheduled to depart on October 13, arriving 40 days later, then returning to Vancouver to load the last ferry in late November. [e-mail]