BC Ferries’ Spirit of Vancouver Island out of service as busy long weekend begins
Posted October 7, 2021 1:38 pm.
Last Updated October 7, 2021 1:39 pm.
NANAIMO (NEWS 1130) — The long weekend rush at BC Ferries terminals has already started, but one of the biggest vessels is out of service because of a mechanical problem.
Deborah Marshall with BC Ferries explains the Spirit of Vancouver Island’s replacement is smaller.
“What we are doing for the weekend is we’re bringing the Coastal Renaissance into service on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay run. So we will have four vessels in operation between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay. However, the coastal class is smaller than the spirit class, so it does accommodate fewer vehicles.”
She says there’s also no timeline for fixing the broken ferry, but it’ll likely take a few weeks.
The spirit vessels can accommodate 358 vehicles and 2,100 passengers and crew while the coastal vessels can accommodate 310 vehicles and 1,604 passengers and crew.
Related Article: BC Ferries schedules changes for Thanksgiving long weekend
Marshall is warning passengers travelling without a reservation in a vehicle on Friday and the holiday Monday can expect overloads.
“So if you are planning on travelling without a reservation, you might want to consider going on Saturday or Sunday, or you can travel as a foot passenger if you want to avoid sailing weights.”
Passengers can expect Thursday afternoon and all of Friday to be quite busy from Tsawwassen and Horseshoe Bay. People can expect the holiday Monday to be quite busy from Vancouver Island at the three major terminals and Sunshine Coast Langdale returning back to Horseshoe Bay.
#BCFTravelTip
It's a busy day for travel on the coast. If you're travelling without a booking & your plans are flexible, consider travel at less busy times or walking on board to reduce the likelihood of experiencing sailing waits.Learn more: https://t.co/CbdDhcW3Zc ^tc pic.twitter.com/kK5Q0vs06e
— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) October 7, 2021
