THUNDER BAY — It's three months behind schedule, but the newest addition to Sail Superior's fleet of tour boats has finally arrived in Thunder Bay.
The 50 by 28 foot catamaran is the largest passenger vessel of its kind on Lake Superior.
Sail Superior owner Greg Heroux purchased the boat from a charter operator in the Caribbean, with the help of a $456,000 conditional loan and grant from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation.
The catamaran's arrival was delayed by COVID-19 restrictions which locked down its home port on the island of Martinique.
"It was months and months of travel worry. Friends brought it up. A hired crew brought it up. So they shared it. I got to join it at the [Sleeping] Giant. I jumped on for the last 20 miles of the 4,000 miles that it came," Heroux said.
It can accommodate up to 30 people and has cabins below, offering the opportunity for overnight excursions to the north shore.
Heroux noted "Now we have a covered vessel, so we don't have to worry as much about the weather. We'll be able to take more people, such as small wedding parties, corporate, family reunions."
He called the boat "a game-changer" for his company and for local tourism, in that it will attract people to travel to Thunder Bay from other places.
Heroux said it will take some time to accommodate Transport Canada requirements for things such as fire suppression equipment and railings, so he won't book passengers for tours until next year.
However, he can still rent the boat this year to parties that hire their own captain and use it as a recreational vessel.
"I have to get it off the dock and actually earning some money. It was pretty expensive," Heroux said.
He said he's already been contacted by companies interested in renting it this season.
The catamaran's expansive deck allows room for social distancing.
Heroux has named the boat Welcome as a tribute to the Welcome Ship that provided harbour tours in Thunder Bay for two decades
