BC Ferries says two sailings between Victoria and Vancouver that were slated to be cancelled on Wednesday have been restored.
On Wednesday morning, the 7 a.m. sailing departing from Swartz Bay and the 9 a.m sailing departing from Tsawwassen were cancelled due to a staff shortage aboard the Coastal Inspiration.
The staff shortage also threatened to cancel the 11 a.m. sailing departing from Swartz Bay and the 1 p.m. sailing departing from Tsawwassen, but by 9 a.m. the company said those two sailings had been restored, after enough crew members were found.
Story continues below.
#ServiceNotice The earlier staffing shortage we experienced on the #CoastalInspiration has been resolved. The sailings previously at risk for today will sail as scheduled.
11:00 am ex. #SwartzBay
1:00 pm ex. #TsawwasenService Notice here: https://t.co/u8hOfAOA26 ^vl
— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) October 18, 2023
Still, people hoping to leave the island aboard a ferry from Victoria should expect waits.
As of 9 a.m., standby vehicle tickets were already booked up until 9 p.m. along the Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen route.
Things were slightly better in the opposite direction, with BC Ferries ticketing for the 3 p.m. sailing heading from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay as of 9 a.m. Wednesday.
The early fill-ups come as BC Ferries contends with one of its major vessels being out of service.
The Spirit of Vancouver Island, just one of two “spirit class” vessels – the largest in BC Ferries’ fleet – was pulled from service on Oct. 10 for repairs and isn’t expected to return to service until Thursday at the earliest.
With the Spirit of Vancouver Island missing from the Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen route, fewer sailings are available on the major route.
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Adam Chan
