Westbrook-based laundry service provider Pratt Abbot says the operator of the Nova Star ferry owes it $262,000.

The charges are for unpaid cleaning bills and for the thousands of Pratt Abbott’s bed sheets and towels that remain aboard the ship, which is anchored in Portland Harbor under seizure by the U.S. Marshal Service.

Pratt Abbot has joined the growing list of vendors who say that the operator, Nova Star Cruises, owes them money, bringing the total sum of claims to nearly $2.9 million. Nova Star Cruises operated a daily ferry service between Portland and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, for two seasons that were beset with financial problems.

Three weeks ago, a company that provided pilot services for the ferry filed a claim in court saying it is owed $195,000, which opened the floodgates for other claims and led to the vessel’s seizure.

Nova Star Cruises rented sheets, towels, pillow cases and laundry bags from Pratt Abbot. According to its complaint, the items aboard the ship are worth $246,000.

Under federal maritime law, the federal government can seize vessels if the operator owes money for goods and services deemed “maritime necessities.”

Nova Star Cruises leased the ship from its builder, Singapore Technologies Marine, also known as ST Marine. The company, which built the $179 million ship in 2010, on Friday filed its first documents in U.S. District Court in Portland in response to the action taken on Oct. 30 by Magistrate Judge John H. Rich III, who ordered the U.S. Marshals Service to “arrest” the ship.

Also under maritime law, the ship’s owner’s interest is subordinate to those with valid liens. If the ship is sold at auction, ST Marine will get whatever money is left over after all other bills are paid.

Because ships sold at auction typically go for less money than they’re worth, the owners will often step in and negotiate a settlement with creditors.

According to the documents filed Friday, ST Marine is demanding the release of the Nova Star and restitution of any security, such as a bond, that may be substituted for the ferry.

Nova Star Cruises has received millions in subsidies from the Nova Scotia government to operate the seasonal ferry service. On Oct. 20, the provincial government gave Nova Star Cruises $1.5 million, its final payment for the season. The money was the last installment of nearly $10 million ($13 million Canadian) the government promised for Nova Star’s 2015 sailing season.

The province two weeks ago ended its contract with Nova Star Cruises and began talks with a different ferry operator.

Tom Bell can be contacted at 791-6369 or at: tbell@pressherald.com

Twitter: TomBellPortland