Toothless ferry

Better cancel those plans for a winter boatride to Rochester – the beleaguered fast ferry, originally established as a year-round enterprise, won’t start its next season until March 31. The city’s outgoing mayor, William Johnson, is determined not to have his legacy sunk, despite flawed financial assumptions and a schedule that discourages Toronto travelers from making a day trip to Rochester. The new plan may involve something similar to what’s done with the high-speed ferry between Bar Harbor, Maine and Yarmouth, NS, which is shipped to the Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago for half the year. Hanging in the balance is a request for the local government to back a $10 million loan, adding to the $40 million the venture has already burned, including the $32 million to buy the craft itself from a failed private consortium. Meanwhile, three other American towns are hoping to launch ferry operations to Canada over the next year, with prospective routes connecting Cleveland to Port Stanley, Grand River to Port Burwell, and Erie, PA to Port Dover: "Part of the theory behind these ventures is that they will give local tourism a big boost," writes the Akron Beacon Journal. "But if Rochester is any indication, that may be overly optimistic." And even more optimistic if plans are to run those shuttles during colder months. High winds last Saturday resulted in northbound Rochester riders being herded on a bus instead, not because the ferry couldn’t stand the weather, but because a choppy trip would result in the seasick passengers giving the boat bad PR.

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