The MB Sandaka will begin operating between Moleson Creek, Guyana, and South Drain, Suriname tomorrow when the MV Canawaima is scheduled to enter dry dock, the Ministry of Public Works said yesterday.
The ministry said Guyana would provide the Sandaka to keep passengers and goods moving between the two countries. It said ministers from both countries had discussed how to maintain the service and that their maritime authorities had also been working on the arrangements.
The ministry did not say how long the Canawaima would be in dry dock or give a sailing schedule for the Sandaka.
The Canawaima was the subject of a sailing restriction in August. In August the restriction had been lifted following a re-inspection the previous day. The Suriname–Guyana Chamber of Commerce had pressed for a two-vessel model for the route
Later that month, amid a disagreement between the two countries over the resumption of ferry service, Guyana said travellers could cross the Corentyne River by small boat, with immigration processing at Moleson Creek and New Nickerie. The government said at the time that two inspections by Guyanese and Surinamese maritime experts had found that the Canawaima could operate until it entered drydock within the following three months.
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