For the second day in a row, there are half as many sailings on a major B.C. Ferries route as there should be. The Queen of Cowichan was taken out of service Monday due to a “mechanical difficulty with the main engine turbocharger,” cancelling the remainder of its sailings for the day, as well as the first four departures of Tuesday. Some at the Departure Bay terminal took the news poorly Monday afternoon. Nanaimo RCMP told CTV News it intervened to de-escalate three situations involving irate passengers trying to leave the island. As of early Tuesday afternoon, all of the vessel’s sailings between Nanaimo’s Departure Bay and West Vancouver’s Horseshoe Bay had been cancelled. Wednesday’s 6:15 a.m. sailing leaving Departure Bay and the 8:35 a.m. leaving Horseshoe Bay are now in jeopardy, according to a service notice from B.C. Ferries. The other vessel that serves the route—the Queen of Oak Bay—remains in service. “We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of these cancellations,” the ferry service said in its notice. Those who have bookings on cancelled sailings will be contacted by B.C. Ferries’ customer service centre and informed of whether they can be accommodated on an alternate sailing. If they cannot be rebooked, they will receive a refund, the company said. B.C. Ferries also highlighted its route between Tsawwassen and Duke Point as an alternative for travellers between the Lower Mainland and Nanaimo. Two sailings, one in each direction, will take place between Tsawwassen and Departure Bay Tuesday evening, the ferry company announced later in the afternoon. The Queen of Alberni will leave Departure Bay for Tsawwassen at 7:15 p.m. and make the return trip at 10 p.m., B.C. Ferries said. Vessels due for replacement The Queen of Cowichan is the latest member of the ferry service’s aging Queen class fleet to see significant cancellations due to mechanical issues in recent days. The Queen of Surrey and the Queen of Coquitlam, which serve the Horseshoe Bay–Langdale route between Metro Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast, each saw sailings cancelled over the weekend due to mechanical issues. Four ships—the Queen of Alberni, the Queen of Coquitlam, the Queen of New Westminster and the Queen of Cowichan—are set to be replaced by new, Chinese-built Summit class vessels beginning in 2029. The Queen of Surrey and the Queen of Oak Bay are slated to be replaced “sometime after 2036,” according to B.C. Ferries. Long weekend travel Amid the recent vessel breakdowns, B.C. Ferries has been planning for heavy traffic over the upcoming Labour Day long weekend. In a statement unrelated to the Queen of Cowichan’s struggles Tuesday, the ferry service advised travellers on major routes to book in advance or travel at off-peak times to avoid multi-sailing waits. B.C. Ferries specifically recommended travelling on Wednesday, Sept. 2 and Wednesday, Sept. 9, if possible. Those who are able to do so should also consider travelling as foot passengers, B.C. Ferries said, adding that pedestrian access can be booked in advance online for major routes.
