Officials seize ship that serves Portland

PORTLAND – The only container ship to regularly call on Portland has been seized in Canada, causing a disruption in the movement of cargo reminiscent of an episode two years ago, officials said.

The K-Wind has been held in Canada since July 24 because of a financial dispute between the ship’s owner and a subcontractor.

The vessel connected Portland and Boston every week with Halifax, Nova Scotia, one of North America’s biggest container ports.

For the time being, a barge connecting Portland with the Port of New York-New Jersey will fill the gap, said Ports and Transportation Director Jeff Monroe. The barge arrived in Portland on Sunday and will return next Sunday.

Monroe said he is optimistic that shipping connections between Portland and Halifax will resume quickly. He said the temporary barge service to New York will continue until a new container service is established.

“We can’t afford another interruption,” he said.

Two years ago, federal marshals seized a different container ship, the Shamrock, in Portland Harbor in a dispute over payment of the ship’s mortgage. The city went without container service for six months.

In January 2005, city officials were relieved when the Ossian began serving Portland under a new operator. The vessel was later renamed K-Wind.

Nearly 2,000 loaded containers move through Portland every year, and the container service plays an important role in the state’s economy, providing Maine manufacturers with an affordable ocean link to the global market.

Portland collects fees on the containers and for berthing. It also earns money by renting its crane for loading the containers.