There’s lies, damn lies,

and there’s Labrador Coastal Marine.

This from the LCM official vessel update; updated October 20th 2009-0.6:32 AM.

Astron
At Nain loading. Ports to Lewisporte



The facts are; the Astron has been broken down since early Monday Morning. For the umpteenth time the crane has stopped working, or broken a cable or some such.

Why the media have not been on the continued deplorable state of freight shipping into Coastal Labrador continues to puzzle me. If this was the HIsland or central Labrador or the Gulf service all hell would be to play.
Because Coastal Labrador is considered the third world of NL and does not warrant the same scrutiny, that is why.
Not a wimp out of our wimpy politicians as usual, nothing from anyone officially. And locally all the buzz is about the potential that the mv Sir Robert Bond may or may not do one or two runs up the coast at the end of the season.
Who gives a rat’s arse about that, not this fella. What about the deplorable service we have received to date, how is this going to be corrected, more important IS it going to be corrected for next season.

Do people understand that all these inefficiencies are being added to the price we pay for stuff in the stores. All the damaged goods that arrive in retailer’s warehouses are not claimed for from the shipper, they are added to the price we pay at the check-out.

Then there are the goods that have been ordered and have been sitting at a dock for 5 to 6 weeks and are still not on the way.

Just this week a shipment of ice cream had to be shipped back because it arrived on the Astron in a melted state, more cost, more inefficiencies, more we go without, it’s f-----g crazy man.

Just a couple of pictures from the dock late yesterday afternoon; if you think those containers look in a sorry state you should see the really bad ones.

Then there is the old rust bucket itself.

Its propulsion system is in bad repair too as it has trouble docking in any sort of wind, the usual excuse is; oh there is a new captain, new captain my arse.

On a brighter note: Fran took a visitor from Quebec up the hill berry picking on Saturday. The days have been sunny but the wind is kind of brisk. That did not deter the pickers as Nain hill looked like there was a need for a traffic cop there were so many people up there.

Photo by Carol Froimovitch.

Later:
Down the dock this morning the Astron was finely loading and making ready to sail, most would hope into the sunset never to be seen again, alas no such luck.
From conversations around town the consensus seems to be that the best place for the Astron would be at the bottom of some bay where it could serve a more useful role as a reef and dive destination.

While I do not wish harm to anybody there must be some place better suited for some of the people who are employed by Labrador Coastal Marine too. The largest store in town did not have one little ol piece of freight come in on the Astron.