Suspected vessel oil leak could mean chaos for BC Ferries

If you’re a BC Ferries commuter who travels between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay, a suspected oil leak could mean far fewer sailings per day.

A travel advisory from BC Ferries says that sailings via the Coastal Celebration have been suspended beginning July 19 at 2 pm until repairs are completed.

Dry dock space has been secured for July 24 and service isn’t expected to return until late next week.

Because of the suspected oil leak, BC Ferries says there will be eight fewer sailings per day between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay beginning July 20.

For customers travelling via BC Ferries today, reserved traffic will be accommodated on alternate sailings by the customer service team.

“Customer Care will contact customers with bookings on all cancelled sailings to let them know if we have space available to move their reservation to an alternate sailing later in the day, or if their booking must be cancelled with fares and/or fees refunded,” BC Ferries states.

BC Ferries has also apologized for any inconvenience the development has caused, and customers without a reservation are being encouraged to travel as foot passengers “as standby vehicle spaces will be reduced while the vessel is out of service.”

Regarding the suspected oil leak, it was reported by the BC Ferries crew earlier this week.

“An underwater dive team determined an ineffective blade seal was the cause. The hydraulic oil leaking from the blade seal is classified as a light mineral oil. Prior to entering dry dock, the vessel will be surrounded by a containment boom. The equipment that is the source of the leak will be shut down while the vessel is waiting for repairs and a spill response teams will be closely monitoring the situation.”

BC Ferries says it can’t yet confirm that the leak is related to the work that was done for the vessel’s recent refit, “but a strong possibility exists.”

In the meantime, if you’re stuck waiting, check out this handy article.