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EUPTA board hears ferry updates: Drummond V architect approved, Neebish III repaired, Drummond III progresses in drydock
Summary
EUPTA reported approval of a naval architect for Drummond V, emergency turbo repairs to Neebish III paid with grant funds, and ongoing drydock work on Drummond III; a prior Aug. 15 personal-injury incident aboard the Drummond Islander IV was reported to the board.
Board members were updated on multiple ferry-related items at the Oct. 7 meeting.
Director Paramski reported that the contract for a naval architect for the planned Drummond V vessel was approved Oct. 2; Mark Pudlo will design the new ferry and the next step is a scoping meeting. The board recorded that Pudlo previously designed Neebish III and was involved in Drummond IV work.
On maintenance, Director Paramski said crew observed black smoke and overheating on Neebish III; mechanics diagnosed a blown turbo on a main engine, temporarily swapped a spare turbo from a stored engine to restore service within hours, and ordered two replacement turbos using grant funds. The procurement was handled as a sole-source purchase approved quickly by MDOT, the board was told.
Director Paramski said Drummond III remains in drydock: fuel-tank pressure testing has passed, most welding is complete and three of four annual inspections are done. Separately, Director Paramski informed the board of a personal injury accident aboard the Drummond Islander IV on Aug. 15, 2025; the report was informational and no board action was recorded during the meeting.
The board also heard that EUPTA is seeking replacement point-of-sale devices for its ferry operations and has contracted Arcadis to advise on a vendor because the current device will go out of vendor support in 2026.
