AFTER undergoing two months of massive rehabilitation works, Motor Vessel Lady Northcote is set to resume its public operations today.The vessel, which falls under the control of the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD), will set sail for Kumaka, Region One. MV Lady Northcote had been docked since September but had its first test sail last week, when it was undocked from the E.C. Vieira Dockyard at Houston, East Bank Demerara.
Last Tuesday, the 78-year-old MV Lady Northcote set sail along the Demerara River after its much needed $140M in repairs were completed by the E.C. Vieira Investments Limited. The company had possession of Lady Northcote since the vessel was docked in September.
While initial rehabilitation costs had been pegged at approximately $70M, the extent of the damage carried up the total cost to about $140M, due to extensive unforeseen damage.
Amongst the extensive works done to Lady Northcote were the repair of its hull; servicing of all on-board machinery; improvement of interior and exterior decking and upgrades to the main and passenger decks. The facilities on board have also been improved through the upgrade of the galley while the vessel’s crew is expected to be more comfortable thanks to improved beds and washroom facilities.
Additionally, the offloading and loading capabilities were improved while all of the vessel’s plates were changed. In terms of safety, the vessel now holds 100 life rafts. The underwater propellers were also completely rebuilt.
The rebuilding of the propellers is of particular significance; for years, MV Lady Northcote’s route – from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, Region 1, lasted about 36 hours. However, the engineering team has projected that the rebuilt propellers will cut down on this travel time. The team will shortly be able to determine the accuracy of its theory when the vessel begins maximised functioning following tests.