BC Ferries vessel pulled from Tsawwassen, Swartz Bay route due to mechanical issues

BC Ferries was forced to cancel some sailings Tuesday morning, after more mechanical problems on the Coastal Celebration.

The corporation says it pulled the vessel from its Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay run because of issues with its propulsion system.

The 6 a.m. from Swartz Bay and 8 a.m. sailing from Tsawwassen were cancelled as a result.

BC Ferries previously said both the 10 a.m. from Swartz Bay and the 12 p.m. from Tsawwassen were also at risk of cancellation as it looked into the matter.

“The safety of our passengers and crew is of primary importance to us. We apologize for any inconvenience as a result of these cancellations,” the corporation said on its website.

However, in an update, BC Ferries tells CityNews Transport Canada cleared the vessel to continue operations, including for the 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. sailings.

It added the situation was being “closely monitored.”

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The issues plaguing the Coastal Celebration are the same that caused it to miss two sailings Monday.

At the time, BC Ferries said oil was detected “coming from the propellor hub of the Coastal Celebration,” prompting the cancellation of the 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. sailings that day.

The propulsion issue was also the reason behind the vessel being offline ahead of the Canada Day long weekend.