Ferries dock after long delays in ice-choked Cabot Strait

NORTH SYDNEY, N.S. -- Marine Atlantic says a ferry carrying hundreds of passengers that was slowed by extreme ice conditions in the Cabot Strait has reached its destination in Nova Scotia.

The MV Blue Puttees was delayed on its way to North Sydney with about 350 passengers on board after it became trapped in ice within a few kilometres of the dock.

A second ferry, the MV Highlanders, arrived in Port aux Basques, N.L., with about 450 people on board after it struggled through the ice-choked strait.

The Crown corporation says the Blue Puttees left Port aux Basques at 11:45 a.m. local time Wednesday and hit ice about 15 hours later off the northern coast of Cape Breton.

Passengers were on the ferry for more than 24 hours.

Marine Atlantic expects ferry crossings to be affected by the ice for the next 48 hours.

A coast guard icebeaker is scheduled to arrive in Friday evening and will be used to assist any ferries that are trapped in the ice off Cape Breton's coast.

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  Marine Atlantic says two of its ferries, MV Blue Puttees and MV Highlanders, which are carrying hundreds of passengers have been slowed by extreme ice conditions in the Cabot Strait on Thursday, April 3, 2014. (@caraleighwyllie / Twitter)

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  Marine Atlantic says two of its ferries, MV Blue Puttees and MV Highlanders, which are carrying hundreds of passengers, have been slowed by extreme ice conditions in the Cabot Strait on Thursday, April 3, 2014. (Marine Atlantic)