There will be fewer sailing days than planned for the ferry between Portland and Nova Scotia as its operator deals with an engine malfunction that has slowed the high-speed ship.

New Brunswick-based Bay Ferries said the ferry would run five days a week through Labor Day. It had planned to run six round-trips a week through July and seven round-trips a week in August. The company will also modify its September and October schedule.

“We regret any inconvenience this has caused to our customers and many partners and we thank them for their patience,” said Bay Ferries Chairman and CEO Mark MacDonald in a statement.

The engine on The Cat catamaran ferry has had problems since June 28, but repairing it will not be possible during the 2017 season. The malfunction has forced the vessel to slow from 33-35 knots to 28-30 knots, according to the company.

Jim Wilson, vice president and general manager of the company said it was very pleased with early bookings in 2017 and planned to add to its slate of entertainment to improve the “great adventure” on The Cat.

In its first month of service, starting May 31, The Cat carried 7,677 passengers and 2,516 passenger vehicles, according to city of Portland records. Last year The Cat carried 35,551 passengers for the entire season, which started in June.

Peter McGuire can be reached at 791-6325 or at:

pmcguire@pressherald.com

Twitter: @PeteL_McGuire

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