Issues with a controllable pitch propeller on the Queen of New Westminster has forced B.C. Ferries to cancel some Sunday sailings between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen. File photo.
BC Ferries has cancelled several sailings to and from Swartz Bay due to a mechanical problem on the Queen of New Westminster.
According to BC Ferries, there is an ongoing issue with one of the Queen of New Westminster’s controllable pitch propellers and its sailings have been called for the remainder of Sunday.
#ServiceNotice #Tsawwassen #SwartzBay #QueenofNewWestminster due to an ongoing issue w/ one of the vessel's controllable pitch propellers, we have cancelled her remaining sailings today. We regret any inconvenience this may cause: https://t.co/mE7GVaKzZI ^kn
— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) July 8, 2018
This means the 2 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen sailings, which would have used the Queen of New Westminster, have been cancelled. The 12 p.m., 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. sailings from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay that would are also not running.
Prior to the announcement, the Queen of New Westminster’s 8 a.m. sailing at Tsawwassen and the 10 a.m. sailing at Swartz Bay had been cancelled as engineers worked to repair the problem and perform tests away from the dock.
“At this point in time, we are working to fix the vessel for tomorrow,” BC Ferries communications manager Tessa Humphries said.
“We do sincerely apologize and we appreciate the customer’s patience.”
Customers with reservations on the cancelled sailings will be refunded their reservation fee and they will be put on the next available sailing. Those customers need to check-in at the terminal within the 30-minute reservation window for their original reserved sailing so terminal employees can queue customers in the proper order. The reservation window begins one hour before the scheduled sailing and closes 30 minutes before the sailing.
Customers who do not have a reservation and are travelling between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen with a vehicle are advised to come well in advance of the sailing they would like to be on. BC Ferries said foot passengers should also arrive early as sailings may reach passenger capacity. There will be additional traffic flaggers at Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen terminals and travellers should expect both terminals to be busier than normal.
The Spirit of Vancouver Island, the Spirit of British Columbia and the Coastal Celebration on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route are operating as normal on an hourly schedule. BC Ferries also said, if necessary, they will make an additional round trip at the end of the day.
The Queen of New Westminster entered service in 1964. It was one of a class of seven ferries and is the only one of the class still operating. The ferry has been refit several times since it began operating and is expected to be in service for another decade.
For the latest, visit the BC Ferries website.
Alexa Huffman
