BC Ferries says some afternoon and evening sailings between Nanaimo and Vancouver are cancelled Wednesday due to mechanical troubles.
The cancellations will continue Thursday.
In a service notice at 5:08 p.m., the ferry corporation says two sailings departing Duke Point in Nanaimo and two sailings departing Tsawwassen in Vancouver are scrapped because of an issue with the Coastal Renaissance’s main engine.
These sailings are cancelled Wednesday:
- 3:15 p.m. departing Tsawwassen (Vancouver)
- 5:45 p.m. departing Duke Point (Nanaimo)
- 8:15 p.m. departing Tsawwassen (Vancouver)
- 10:45 p.m. departing Duke Point (Nanaimo)
In an earlier notice around 4 p.m., BC Ferries said other sailings on this route via the Coastal Inspiration should proceed as scheduled.
BC Ferries says it will contact customers with bookings on cancelled sailings to let them know if there’s space on an alternate sailing later in the day, or if their booking must be cancelled.
“In the case of a cancellation, we will refund fees and/or fares,” the corporation says.
“We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of these cancellations. Reserved customers and those checked in at the terminal who are impacted by this cancelled sailing can find information about our compensation policy here.”
Shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday, BC Ferries posted on Twitter that the mechanical difficulties with the Coastal Renaissance means more sailings between Duke Point and Tsawwassen are cancelled Thursday.
Those cancelled sailings are:
- 9:00 a.m. departing Duke Point (Nanaimo)
- 11:30 a.m. departing Tsawwassen (Vancouver)
- 2:00 p.m. departing Duke Point (Nanaimo)
- 4:30 p.m. departing Tsawwassen (Vancouver)
#ServiceNotice
The following sailings have been cxl'd for tomorrow, August 17, due to a mechanical difficulty with the #CoastalRenaissance main engine.9:00 am/2:00 pm ex #DukePoint
11:30 am/4:30 pm ex #TsawwassenFull notice here:https://t.co/Kgvp405eP1 ^at
— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) August 17, 2023
READ ALSO: BC Ferries chair says it would have been ‘confusing’ if she addressed recent issues
Mechanical difficulties are nothing new for BC Ferries, as seen this summer on its busiest route.
A sister ship, the Coastal Celebration, was pulled from service on July 19 due to an ineffective blade seal. This ship returned to service about two weeks later, but while it was decommissioned sailings between Victoria and Vancouver were altered.
For up-to-date sailing and departure information, people can check BC Ferries’ Twitter or Current Conditions page.
#ServiceNotice The following #CoastalRenaissance sailings have been cancelled today, August 16, due to a mechanical issue with the ship's main engine:
3:15/8:15pm ex #Tsawwassen
5:45/10:45pm ex #DukePointFull notice here: https://t.co/5m0PhdgCCM ^cm
— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) August 17, 2023
Ethan Morneau
