The Government Shipping Service (GSS) can be traced as far back as 1901 when the Government signed a contract with the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company of Great Britain for the operation of a shipping service, which at the time, was the only means of transportation between the two islands.
Two vessels operated the service until 1915 when one of them was withdrawn due to World War 1 requirements.
In 1924, Government purchased its first vessel—the SS Belize—which operated up to 1929. This vessel made one round trip per week, calling at such places as Toco, Blanchisseuse, Grande Riviere, Matelot, Mayaro, and Cedros where passengers and cargo were ferried back and forth.
In 1930, the SS Tobago was acquired and took over the service, and this was later followed by the addition of the SS Trinidad.
Together, these two vessels operated the service for approximately 27 years—accommodating 384 passengers and a combined cargo capacity of 488 tons.
The POS/Scarborough run was done on a weekly basis.
In 1957, the SS Trinidad and the SS Tobago were both taken out of service and two roll on/roll off vessels were ordered.
In the interim, several vessels were chartered to operate the service.
These included the "City of Port of Spain," "The Zinnia," "The Caracas," "The Blue Star," |"The Radar," and the "The Madinina," according to the T&T Inter-Island Ferry Service
During the last 15 years, the T&T sea-bridge has been mired in controversy leading past and present officials to accuse each other of corruption as procurement procedures have been scrutinised and found lacking.
The words corruption and scandal have become synonymous as successive administrations try to rectify the issues affecting the service such as the absence of transparent procurement practices, a lack of maintenance leading to a general break-down and decline of vessels, and sabotage.
THE SCARLET IBIS
Commissioned into service: 1960s
Length of service: 25 years
Passenger Capacity: 192
Cargo Capacity: 244 tons
THE BIRD OF PARADISE
Commissioned into service: 1960s
Length of service: 25 years
Passenger Capacity: 192
Cargo Capacity: 244 tons
MV TOBAGO
Commissioned into service: August 1976
Passenger Capacity: 650
Cargo Capacity: 400 tons
MF GELTING and the MF TEISTEN were both chartered to operate alongside the MV Tobago as it took six years before the MF Panorama, which was on order, could be delivered.
MF PANORAMA
Cost: TT $114 million
Commissioned into service: 1987
Passenger Capacity: 700
Average Sailing Time: Eight hours
Status: The once Trinidad and Tobago-owned roll on/roll off MF Panorama was refurbished and now services passengers in Greece. Bought under the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), the vessel serviced the sea bridge for 17 years until it was removed from service in 2004 after it was deemed unsafe to transport its maximum capacity of passengers. It was bought by a Greek company in 2010 for an alleged US $ 350,000 or TT $2.4 million, amidst initial claims that it would be used for scrap iron.
CONDOR
Commissioned into service: November 1994
Average Sailing Time: Two-and-a-half hours
Service time: Just over three months
Classification: First fast ferry to undertake the transportation of passengers only between the two islands
MV BEAUPORT
Commissioned into service: December 2000
Passenger Capacity: 1,000
Vehicle Capacity: 150
Classification: Roll on/roll off vessel
MV SONIA
Commissioned into service: December 2004
Passenger Capacity: 1,026
Vehicle Capacity: 150
THE CAT
Commissioned into service: January 2005
Average Sailing Time: Two-and-a-half hours
Passenger Capacity: 850
Vehicle Capacity: 200
THE LYNX
Cost: $126 million
Commissioned into service: May 2005
Average Sailing Time: Two-and-a-half hours
Passenger Capacity: 850
Vehicle Capacity: 180
WARRIOR SPIRIT
Commissioned into service: June 2006
Classification: Primarily a cargo transport to Tobago
Notable Fact: The vessel was re-christened in tribute to the local soccer team the Soca Warriors, who had done the nation proud, qualifying for the first time and creating history as the smallest nation ever to be represented at the World Cup.
T&T EXPRESS
Cost: US$20 million
Commissioned into service: December 2006.
Passenger Capacity: 840
Vehicle Capacity: 200
Average Sailing Time: Four hours
Length: 91.3 metres
Service Speed: 38-40 knots
Additional Costs: It was dry-docked, re-furbished and painted in the national colours at a cost of US $2.15 million.
Status: In April 2019, the T&T Express was pulled from service after almost a decade along the inter-island route. Prior to this, it was initially supposed to be dry-docked but following a Cabinet decision, it was offered for sale due to the high cost of maintenance. The list of woes that affected this vessel included electrical issues and mechanical problems which officials attributed to sabotage.
T&T SPIRIT
Cost: US $60 million.
Commissioned into service: July 2007
Passenger Capacity: 765
Vehicle Capacity: 200
Average Sailing Time: Four hours
Length: 98 metres
Service Speed: 30-40 knots
Status: In June 2017, the T&T Spirit was taken off the sea bridge for an initial month of maintenance work. It took almost a year before it was returned to the route—in April 2018—following several failed sea trials when it came off dry-dock with an estimated US $8 million in repairs. In December 2018, sailings of the T&T Spirit were cancelled for an indefinite period of time after officials claimed a cracked crankcase had led to the vessel being pulled out of service.
SUPER FAST GALICIA
Commissioned into service: May 2014
Classification: Roll on/roll off
Average Sailing Time: Five hours
Length: 160 metres
CABO STAR
Commissioned into service: July 2017
Passenger Capacity: 130
Classification: Roll on/roll off vessel
Length: 158 metres
Status: Active (off the South American North Coast)
OCEAN FLOWER II
Commissioned into service: Leased in September 2017
GALLEONS PASSAGE
Cost: US$17.4 million
Commissioned into service: October 2018
Passenger Capacity: 700
Vehicle Capacity: 100
Average Sailing Time: Four hours
Length: 74 metres
Classification: Brand-new roll on/roll off (ROPAX) twin-hull, catamaran vessel, with an aluminium superstructure comprising a steel hull design.
Origin of Name: Determined based on old maps which showed the sea route between the two islands was historically referred to as Galleon’s Passage.
Status: Currently servicing the inter-island sea bridge.
JEAN DE LA VALETTE
Cost: The vessel is being leased at a cost of 34,500 Euros or $263,580 TT per day
Arrival: Arrived in T&T on June 19.
Length: 106 metres
Passenger capacity: 800
Vehicles: 156 cars
Procured on a lease basis for one year, will now complement the Galleons Passage and the existing fleet of vehicles operating the sea bridge between Trinidad and Tobago. Sourced from Malta and leased from Virtu Ferries, whose managing director Francis Portelli of the parent company Virtu Holdings had been named in a huge oil scandal in Malta, involving allegations of money laundering and bribery.
Status: The vessel is scheduled to undergo routine inspection and clearance by Customs and Excise. The process of acquiring relevant approvals for local staff will commence before the vessel is put into operation.
