Hullo Ferries' inaugural sailings cancelled due to high winds, power outage

Hullo Ferries' brand-new catamaran vessels arriving in Nanaimo for the first time on July 14, 2023. (Hullo Ferries)

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect Hullo Ferries’ decision to cancel all eight sailings on August 14, 2023.

Mother nature has thrown off course today’s official launch of Hullo Ferries’ much-anticipated high-speed ferry service between downtown Vancouver and downtown Nanaimo.

In an early morning bulletin, the ferry company cancelled its very first sailings of the day departing Nanaimo at 6 am and Vancouver at 8 am as a result of power outages in Nanaimo late last night that caused a loss of power to the berth and the vessels. Shortly after, the 10 am sailing from Nanaimo and the noon sailing from Vancouver were also cancelled.

Just after 3 pm today, Hullo Ferries announced the cancellation of all remaining sailings for the day.

Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a “strong wind warning” in the Strait of Georgia of 20 knots to 33 knots (37 km/hr to 61 km/hr) between Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver.

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“In light of the city-wide power outages late last night that caused a loss of power to the berth and to the vessels, it is crucial to run an impact assessment impact across all our vessel systems to ensure the absolute safety and reliability of our operations,” said Hullo Ferries CEO Alastair Caddick in a statement that was also shared with impacted customers.

“In addition, Environment Canada provided an alert in respect of gale force winds, which will continue to be monitored closely by our team.”

The advisory further reads, “Our commitment to ensuring an impeccably safe voyage for our passengers is unwavering. As Hullo sets its course in these initial months, we are adopting a deliberately conservative stance, with the safety and well-being of our passengers steering our decisions.”

Affected customers will receive an automatic refund.

It should be noted that Environment and Climate Change Canada’s marine forecast’s wind warning over open water extends into later on Monday and Tuesday. Strong winds are also currently forecasted throughout this week.

Hullo Ferries’ daily schedule currently consists of a total of four roundtrip sailings per day, including the 6:30 pm and 10:30 pm sailings from Vancouver, and the 4:30 pm and 8:30 pm sailings from Nanaimo. Each one-way sailing takes about 70 minutes.

Hullo Ferries’ Spuhels vessel at the Nanaimo Port Authority terminal. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Comfort (economy) class seats on Hullo Ferries. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

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The vessels are brand-new, purpose-built, high-speed catamarans that each fit 354 seated passengers over two levels.

The vessels have a maximum design sailing speed of 40 knots (74 km/hr). When travelling in the Strait of Georgia’s open waters, the vessels are expected to reach an “efficient” sailing speed of about 38 knots (70 km/hr) to meet their travel time.

The terminal and home base for the vessels are located at the Port of Nanaimo facility at 100 Port Drive just south of downtown Nanaimo — about a four-minute drive or 14-minute walk from Port Place Shopping Centre.

For its downtown Vancouver facilities, the vessels dock at Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre — located immediately north of Jack Poole Plaza and Cactus Club Cafe at the Vancouver Convention Centre’s West Building. Hullo Ferries has opened a ticket and customer service office located on the east side of the West Building, near Chop Steakhouse & Bar and Subway.

This service, including its fare structure, is intended to meet the diverse needs of regular commuters and tourists.

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