Narva river passenger service faces closure over port rules

Narva’s passenger boat service is at risk of closing because the river port is not authorised to accommodate the Caroline, ERR reports. The Transport Administration has ordered changes that could prove too costly for the boat’s owners.

The Caroline made its last trip of the season from Narva to Narva-Jõesuu in late September. It is now in a dock at Sillamäe port, but its next destination and winter berth have not been decided.

The Transport Administration found that Narva river port, registered as a small port, cannot receive a vessel the size of the Caroline. The port must change its registration, and its harbourmaster must hold qualifications for larger ships rather than small vessels, said Kert Süsmalainen, head of the agency’s waterways and ports department.

The agency said the port operator had failed to address the issue earlier. Five years ago, the boat’s length was measured at the waterline, but its actual length exceeds the permitted limit by 120 centimetres.

Narva city has changed the port’s registration and plans to build a waiting area for passengers. Finding a harbourmaster for a passenger port may be difficult, however. Caroline owner Kaspar Eisel said there were no suitable candidates in Narva and that language skills would be an obstacle. He added that hiring a harbourmaster just for the boat could raise port fees enough to threaten the business’s viability.

The service has also become less profitable. In its first seasons, around 10,000 people travelled on the river tram; this summer, the number was just under 3,000. Whether the Caroline will operate on the Narva River next summer, and on what terms, will depend on negotiations with the river port’s management.