B.C. Ferries warns of cancellations as winds threaten sailings post-long weekend
Passengers are pictured waiting in line at the B.C. Ferries terminal in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, on Thursday, June 30, 2022. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Some ferry sailings between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island are at risk of cancellation Monday as strong winds are expected along the southern coast and parts of the Island.
B.C. Ferries says two evening sailings between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. PDT could be cancelled due to forecasted wind gusts and operating limits on one of its vessels, following a recent mechanical issue.
Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a special weather statement warning of gusts up to 70 kilometres an hour starting Monday afternoon and continuing into Tuesday.
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The warning comes after a weekend of widespread disruptions across the ferry system.
Several B.C. Ferries routes between the Lower Mainland, the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island were disrupted as mechanical issues and vessel shortages led to cancellations, long waits and alternate service plans during the busy Easter long weekend.
On the Horseshoe Bay–Langdale route, a mechanical issue with the Queen of Surrey’s steering panel on Sunday forced the cancellation of multiple sailings throughout the morning and early afternoon.
The vessel had already been delayed returning to service after its annual refit, and had only just resumed operations when crews identified a mechanical issue with its steering panel, according to the company spokesperson Ceilidh Marlow.
She said a replacement vessel took over the route starting with the 2:25 p.m. sailing from Horseshoe Bay, with the regular schedule expected to resume afterward.
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“We expect to accommodate all traffic currently staged at both terminals, but customers should be advised that there will be no further standby space available on this route for the remainder of today,” Marlow said in a statement.
In the meantime, the company says it will continue to deploy water taxis, including four 12-passenger vessels and one carrying up to 38 people until full service resumes.
Travellers were warned to expect heavy traffic, with no standby space available for the remainder of the day on that route, and long waits likely across other major sailings.
Some travellers have taken to social media to describe long delays and traffic backups near the Langdale ferry terminal on the Sunshine Coast.
Posts in local community groups show vehicles lined up starting from the terminal and along Marine Drive in Gibsons. Others reported waiting for several hours, and in some cases up to eight hours, as congestion built throughout the day.
The issue on the Horseshoe Bay-Langdale route is causing disruptions between Tsawwassen and Nanaimo’s Duke Point route. Two afternoon sailings were cancelled on Sunday along with four additional sailings for Monday.
B.C. Ferries says the vessel normally used on that route, the Queen of Coquitlam, was reassigned to cover for the Horseshoe Bay-Langdale run.
The latest issues come on top of ongoing disruptions throughout the long weekend.
Passengers travelling between Texada Island and Powell River were left stranded after a B.C. Ferries vessel experienced a propulsion system problem mid-sailing Friday night.
Ahead of the long weekend, the company announced two vessels were out of service, including Queen of Surrey and the Spirit of Vancouver Island, which was sidelined by a generator issue before returning back to service on Friday afternoon, leading to numerous cancellations between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.
In its statement, B.C. Ferries said the latest disruptions highlight ongoing pressure on its aging fleet and growing demand on the system.
The company says it has been pushing to add another major vessel to improve reliability, but that proposal has not been approved.
“This is exactly why we applied to the B.C. Ferry Commissioner to build a fifth New Major Vessel, which could provide additional relief in moments like this,” Marlow added.
A rendering of the new vessels B.C. Ferries is planning to have built. (B.C. Ferries)
The B.C. Ferries Commissioner approved four out of the five new major vessels requested last year, but rejected the fifth, saying it was not considered essential or affordable at the time.
The first of the four new ferries is expected to enter service in 2029.
This article was originally published for CBC News. With files from Jei Zabanal and Shaurya Kshatri