Ferry provider services return to normal after engine incident

QUEENSCLIFF-based ferry service Searoad Ferries is back to business as usual following an incident occurring on one of its main ships at the end of September.

Confirmed by Searoad Ferries chief executive officer Matt McDonald on September 30, the MV Sorrento suffered an engine failure shortly after returning from a complete engine rebuild.

“After undergoing an extensive refurbishment, including a complete engine rebuild by the manufacturers, the MV Sorrento experienced an engine failure shortly after returning to service,” Mr McDonald said at the time. “This significantly impacted our usual ferry timetable, and we understand how disruptive this has been for our customers.”

A Searoad Ferries spokesperson has since told this publication the company had returned to its regular service.

During the disruption period, Searoad Ferries operated an hourly service with the assistance of its smaller backup ferry, the MV Peninsula Princess.

Mr McDonald said engineers worked around the clock to resolve the issue and bring the MV Sorrento back into service, and that Searoad Ferries was extremely grateful for the community’s understanding.

“Thank you for sticking with us, and a special thank you to our hard-working staff for their incredible efforts during this challenging time.”