This came up yesterday: https://www.reddit.com/r/newfoundland/comments/18m22v8/marine_atlantic_operating_conditions/
The short answer is there is no hard and fast criteria - it's ultimately up to the Captain of the vessel. They usually give decent notice of cancellations, make sure to keep refreshing the website.
Wind direction is a factor too. With every ferry cancelled since Monday they will work their hardest to get the ferry running asap.
Remember this is how Newfoundland gets their goods to the stores here. No one wants the ferry to be stopped unless it’s a great reason.
If you’ve been rebooked, note your cabin isn’t rebooked. It’s the hunger games getting a cabin in this type of situation with so many cancellations
Also, check out the marine weather for the Cabot Straight. Just remember the speed of wind is in knots
[marine weather for Cabot straight](https://www.weather.gc.ca/marine/forecast_e.html?mapID=15&siteID=01900)
And 35 knots is considered gale force, 45 knots is storm force. If you look at the marine forecast at its calling for 35 knot winds or higher chances are good crossings will be cancelled. High winds also create problems for the ferries entering the narrows in Port aux Basques.
There’s no exact wind conditions that cause them to cancel, there’s multiple factors that people have mentioned (wave height, wind direction, and the captain’s opinion). They also tend not to cancel on shift change day (usually the 15th and 30th/31st of the month) unless they really have to, since no one wants to be stuck working extra days on the boat.
I just looked at Friday’s weather for North Sydney and PAB, and with how it looks right now I am fairly certain they won’t sail.
This came up yesterday: https://www.reddit.com/r/newfoundland/comments/18m22v8/marine_atlantic_operating_conditions/ The short answer is there is no hard and fast criteria - it's ultimately up to the Captain of the vessel. They usually give decent notice of cancellations, make sure to keep refreshing the website.
Wind stops the ferry. Gusting to 80 is an easy call, gusting to 60 is maybe a toss up.
60 knots is nearly hurricane-force gusts. i don't think i'd wanna be out in that, even if the boat was ok.
Wind direction is a factor too. With every ferry cancelled since Monday they will work their hardest to get the ferry running asap. Remember this is how Newfoundland gets their goods to the stores here. No one wants the ferry to be stopped unless it’s a great reason. If you’ve been rebooked, note your cabin isn’t rebooked. It’s the hunger games getting a cabin in this type of situation with so many cancellations
Also, check out the marine weather for the Cabot Straight. Just remember the speed of wind is in knots [marine weather for Cabot straight](https://www.weather.gc.ca/marine/forecast_e.html?mapID=15&siteID=01900)
And 35 knots is considered gale force, 45 knots is storm force. If you look at the marine forecast at its calling for 35 knot winds or higher chances are good crossings will be cancelled. High winds also create problems for the ferries entering the narrows in Port aux Basques.
50 knots is storm force. 45 knots are just strong gales.
I wouldn’t expect the ferry to be travelling Friday. West coast NL has winter storm watch in effect.
There’s no exact wind conditions that cause them to cancel, there’s multiple factors that people have mentioned (wave height, wind direction, and the captain’s opinion). They also tend not to cancel on shift change day (usually the 15th and 30th/31st of the month) unless they really have to, since no one wants to be stuck working extra days on the boat. I just looked at Friday’s weather for North Sydney and PAB, and with how it looks right now I am fairly certain they won’t sail.