In early November a federal court ordered the seizure of the 27,744gt/2014 built Nova Star (above) after the Portland Pilots complained that the ferry operator owed them $195,898.

After two disappointing seasons, the Nova Scotia government had already announced on 21st October that it was stripping the operator, Nova Star Cruises, of the franchise to run the heavily subsidised ferry service between Portland and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. The province instead will negotiate with Bay Ferries, which already operates two other ferry lines serving Nova Scotia and has previously operated Portland-Yarmouth, albeit unsuccessfully.

The Portland Pilots, the company that provided pilot services to the Nova Star in Portland, had received no payments since 17th August. In 2015 the Nova Star carried 52,000 passengers, 12% less than in 2014. Nova Star Cruises does not own the vessel. She is leased from Singapore Technologies Marine, who built her for LD Lines. The French company cancelled the contract in 2012 after the ship was built, citing a dispute over a delay in construction and the vessel’s design deadweight.