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Marine News - cont'd. 4. Last issue, we reported that the decision had been made that the 282-foot ferry which Austal Ltd. has been building in Australia for Canadian American Transportation Systems, would be sold to other operators because she would be ready too early for the planned 2004 start of the Toronto-Rochester ser­ vice. Rather than have that vessel sit around idle until 2004, the plan was for Austal to sell the ship and then build another one, with more timely delivery, for CATS. This, however, apparently led to conniptions amongst State of New York officials, as there will be some $14 million of state mo­ ney invested in the ferry project, and there were those who worried about the future of the project. As a result, Austal has confirmed that the ferry now under construction no longer is for sale, and will be completed for CATS, with a probable finish in September (she earlier had been due for com­ pletion in June or July). CATS apparently will take delivery of the ship in December, and hopes to have the ferry in Rochester by March 31, 2004. Shore­ side work in preparation for the ferry is under way at Charlotte, where the ferry will dock on the Genesee River. There has been no work whatever at Toronto, where the ferry is expected to dock at the knuckle in Pier 52 by the Eastern Gap. Over the winter, the 245-foot former Icelandic trawler and later research vessel CALEDONIA, (a) AKUREY (66), (b) S/S AXEROY (68), (c) PETREL (76), (d) PETREL V (00), (e) CAPE HARRISON (02), built in England in 1947, has been at Heddle Marine in Hamilton undergoing a $3. 5 million conversion to a three-masted sail excursion vessel for Canadian Sailing Expeditions. Her current owner anticipates using the vessel during the summers in cruises on the east coast of Canada and in the winter running her in the Caribbean out of St. Lucia. However, late on the afternoon of March 19, a fire, reportedly of electrical origin, broke out aboard the ship and, before it could be ex­ tinguished, some $500, 000 in damage was caused to CALEDONIA. Although the fire apparently did not reach the engineroom, the mishap has put in doubt the ability of CALEDONIA to participate in the Great Lakes Tall Ships Chal­ lenge during the coming summer. In the March issue, we noted that the former Welland Canal SWEEP SCOW NO. 4 had been renamed (b) JUDIQUE FLYER by its new owner, Rankin Construction Inc., of St. Catharines. We questioned the origin of the vessel's unusual new name. It seems that Judique (pronounced je-dick, with equal emphasis on both syllables), is a small community on the western shore of Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island, and the area was settled by Scots highlanders, many of whom were named Rankin. A train used to run up the Cape Breton coast through Judique to Port Hood and Mabou, and as the train was not the swiftest thing on wheels, it was nicknamed the "Judique Flyer". Hence the selection of the name for the plodding sweep scow by Rankin Construction. (Our thanks to Mac Mac Mackay for the information. ) The Horne Transportation ferry service between Wolfe Island, Ontario, and Cape Vincent, New York, is in considerable question for the 2003 season as a result of a dispute between the ferry operators and the United States Cus­ toms service. Customs says that the building it has been using at Cape Vin­ cent no longer is satisfactory, and that by law, the private-sector opera­ tors must provide a new building, estimated to cost $400, 000. The Horne fa­ mily, which has operated the ferry for decades, say they cannot afford the building, and so if no agreement can be reached, the ferry will not be able to operate. The vessel used on the route is the 1952-built, 66-foot WILLIAM DARRELL. C. S. L . 's recently acquired MACKENZIE was officially renamed (e) BIRCHGLEN on February 7, and the repainting of the ship began in early March. Also during March, SPRUCEGLEN was fully repainted in C. S. L. colours at Toronto, much im­ proving her appearance. Both vessels will be operated in the grain trade be­ tween the Lakehead and Europe during 2003. The company does not have initial appointments for either OAKGLEN or MAPLEGLEN this spring.