BC Ferries’ newest vessel arrives in Victoria

BC Ferries' newest vessel arrives in Victoria
CHEK

The Salish Raven sits at Ogden Point in Victoria on June 7. Credit: Don West/CHEK News

British Columbia’s newest dual-fuel ferry arrived in Victoria Wednesday, after a month-and-a-half journey from Poland.

The Salish Raven can operate on natural gas or ultra-low sulphur marine diesel. It took 41 days for it to arrive from the Remontowa Shipbuilding in Gdansk, Poland.

The ship was at Ogden Point in Victoria for the public to take exterior photos of the vessel. The Salish Raven has to clear Canadian Customs and be inspected before BC Ferries takes ownership. It will then go to the BC Ferries’ refit facility in Richmond on June 8 before it goes into operation in the Southern Gulf Islands in the fall.

The artwork for the vessel was designed by Musqueam Nation’s Thomas Cannell and will be applied on the ship in B.C. BC Ferries said the temperatures in Poland were too low for proper application.

“The Salish Class vessels are high quality, state-of-the-art vessels, which will serve British Columbians and tourists alike for decades to come,” Mark Collins, BC Ferries’ President and CEO, said in a statement.

The first Salish Class vessel, the Salish Orca, was put into service on the Powell River-Comox Route in May. The Salish Eagle will start operating on the Tsawwassen-Southern Gulf Islands route at the end of June.

READ MORE: New ferry launches on Powell River-Comox route

Each duel-fuel Salish Class vessel is 107 metres. They can hold 145 vehicles and up to 600 passengers and crews. There are two car decks and a service speed of 15.5 knots. Each ship weighs 8,728 tonnes.

The Salish Raven sits at Ogden Point in Victoria on June 7. Credit: Don West/CHEK News

The Salish Raven sits at Ogden Point in Victoria on June 7. Credit: Don West/CHEK News

 

Alexa HuffmanAlexa Huffman

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