The BC Ferries has announced a revised schedule for Monday, October 19 after the Queen of Alberni experienced mechanical difficulties and had to be temporarily removed from service.
BC Ferries says the Coastal Celebration will now be operating between both Victoria and Tsawwassen and Tsawwassen and Nanaimo.
The Coastal Celebration will operate on the below schedule:
Swartz Bay (Victoria) – Tsawwassen (Vancouver)
8:00 am departing Swartz Bay
Tsawwassen (Vancouver) – Duke Point (Nanaimo)
10:15 am departing Tsawwassen
12:45 pm departing Duke Point
3:15 pm departing Tsawwassen
5:45 pm departing Duke Point
BC Ferries notes that the Spirit of Vancouver Island and Spirit of British Columbia will continue as the primary vessels between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay and operate as scheduled.
The company also says the Coastal Inspiration will continue to operate between Tsawwassen and Duke Point as scheduled.
The scheduled changes mean that the following sailings have been cancelled on Monday:
Swartz Bay (Victoria) – Tsawwassen (Vancouver)
12:00 pm departing Swartz Bay
2:00 pm departing Tsawwassen
Tsawwassen (Vancouver) – Duke Point (Nanaimo)
5:15 am departing Tsawwassen
7:45 am departing Duke Point
8:15 pm departing Tsawwassen
“We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of these cancellations,” reads a statement from BC Ferries. “We are working to resolve the issue and we will keep you informed as soon as more information becomes available.”
Numerous Sunday sailings between Nanaimo and the Lower Mainland were cancelled due to the mechanical difficulties.
BC Ferries said the Queen of Alberni ferry experienced problems with its controllable pitch propellor, forcing them to cancel six sailings between Duke Point and Tsawwassen on Sunday.
The cancellations came after a separate delay earlier in the weekend when a group of anti-mask protesters aboard a sailing from Nanaimo’s Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay began verbally abusing passengers, resulting in a 45-minute delay.
Graham Cox
