Canadian ferry operator Marine Atlantic is chartering two ro-pax ferries from Sweden's Stena Group as replacements for its 1986 built Caribou and 1989 built Joseph and Clara Smallwood on the Newfoundland-Nova Scotia run.

The 200 passenger capacity 22-knot Stena Traveller and Stena Trader, both built in 2006/07, will each offer 3,100m of vehicle deck space compared to less than 1,800m on the older Canadian ships.

The newer vessels, which make use of twin MAN diesels, will also provide a lower fuel consumption ratio.

Marine Atlantic is being given US$165 million by the Canadian federal government to help them modernize its fleet and shore facilities as well as improve customer services.

Supplied by Jim Shaw