There are three of these distinctive passenger ferries in use in Halifax Harbour. They were designed by EYE Marine Ltd. and built and operated initially by the City Of Dartmouth. Dartmouth has run a ferry service across the harbour between the twin cities since it’s founding. In the mid 1970’s as part of the Halifax/Dartmouth waterfront development project, new ferry terminals with floating pontoon docks were constructed on both sides of the harbour. The ferries and pontoon docks were designed to provide an extremely efficient docking and passenger embarkation system. The first two ferries went into service in 1979, and have proved to be extremely reliable and efficient vessels over their twenty years of operation. A third ferry was added to serve a new terminal built at Woodside on the south side of Dartmouth in the mid 1980’s. All three vessels are now owned and operated by the new Halifax Regional Municipality as part of the new amalgamated metro transit system.

The vessels are 79’ long with a 31’ beam and a 9’ moulded depth. They are each powered by two Voith Schneider cycloidal propeller units one forward and one aft each rated at 230HP giving a vessel speed of 8 knots. The ferries are designed to carry 400 passengers and meet all Canadian Coast Guard Ship Safety Branch intact and damaged stability standards.