'Mechanical difficulty' forces B.C. Ferries to cancel multiple sailings on busy route | Daily Hive

StandbildCA/Shutterstock

One of BC Ferries’ busiest routes is down a vessel to start the month of September, with several sailings being cancelled.

According to BC Ferries, four sailings between Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver and Departure Bay in Nanaimo have been cancelled on Tuesday, Sept. 1:

6:15 a.m. leaving Departure Bay
8:35 a.m. leaving Horseshoe Bay
10:55 a.m. leaving Departure Bay
1:25 p.m. leaving Horseshoe Bay
4 p.m. leaving Departure Bay
6:20 p.m. leaving Horseshoe Bay
8:30 p.m. leaving Departure Bay
10:40 p.m. leaving Horseshoe Bay

This is due to a “mechanical difficulty with the main engine turbocharger on the Queen of Cowichan,” and more sailings are at risk of not proceeding.

Queen of Cowichan (BC Ferries)

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The 6:10 a.m. sailing from Departure Bay and the 8:35 a.m. departure from Horseshoe Bay on Wednesday, Sept. 2 are also at risk of being cancelled until repairs are complete.

“Our engineering team continues to investigate the issue with repairs starting this morning,” said BC Ferries in a service notice posted on Tuesday, Sept. 1. “Additional updates will be provided as information becomes available. Should more time be required to complete this repair, other sailings are at risk of cancellation.”

“We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of these cancellations.”

BC Ferries added that all Queen of Oak Bay sailings between Nanaimo and Horseshoe Bay are expected to depart as scheduled.

BC Ferries’ Horseshoe Bay Terminal in West Vancouver. (EB Adventure Photography/Shutterstock)

Those who have been impacted by the cancelled sailings will be contacted by the Customer Service Centre to let them know if another sailing is available, or if their booking must be cancelled and refunded.

BC Ferries also stated that alternate service is available on the Tsawwassen to Duke Point route.

For people travelling on the route from Horseshoe Bay and Nanaimo’s Departure Bay, all vehicle customers are required to have a reservation and to have paid in advance.

The changes are partly due to construction taking place at the Horseshoe Bay terminal.

BC Ferries says that the changes will help “keep customers moving and maintain safety through the multi-year construction program at the terminal, where vehicle staggering space will be reduced by 25 per cent.”