The MV Lady Northcote is scheduled to set sail again to Port Kaituma on Thursday after repairs to its loading mechanism.
Ministry of Public Infrastructure Public Relations Officer Desilon Daniels, in a letter that was published in Stabroek News last week Friday, had said the operations of the 78-year-old vessel had been disrupted by mechanical issues.
A Ministry of Public Infrastructure official subsequently told Stabroek News that the problem was not with the boat itself but was with the loading mechanism. “The loading mechanism is used to lift heavy crates to load onto the ferry and that is what has the problem,” the official said, while noting that since it is difficult to load heavy creates onto the ferry, it made no sense for persons to travel without their goods.
The official explained that the ferry left Mabaruma and arrived in Georgetown on Friday since they had to resort to loading the cargo manually. As soon as the vessel was docked in Georgetown, works began to repair the loading mechanism and it was confirmed yesterday by the official that the problem had been fixed and the vessel has been scheduled to resume its normal route next week.
Last year, repairs to the vessel had been undertaken by E.C. Vieira Investments Limited at a cost of $140M, which was double the original estimate. Among the works done were repairs to the hull and servicing of all on-board machinery; enhancement of interior and exterior decking; and upgrades to the main and passenger decks, as well as the galley and the crew’s beds and washroom facilities.
