BC Ferries warns of possible cancellations amid stormy weather

With an atmospheric river hitting B.C.’s South Coast Friday and through the weekend, BC Ferries says it’s keeping a very close eye on conditions.

As of Friday morning, there were a pair of cancellations affecting Haida Gwaii, however, the service doesn’t anticipate pulling any other vessels this weekend.

“At this time, we don’t foresee any effects but of course things always change quickly, so keeping a close eye on things,” Ceilidh Marlow told 1130 NewsRadio. “We’re in constant communication with our teams at terminals, on our vessels and we’re ready to adapt if anything changes.”

She says if weather conditions worsen, they’ll pull vessels off the water for safety reasons.

“If we get beyond the threshold of acceptable wind levels, then we would look at a cancellation because we don’t want to ever take the risk of going out and putting our passengers and crew at risk.”

Marlow couldn’t say what that threshold was.

“It’s hard to give an exact parameter because it varies by route and we have so many different routes. So, depending on the route, some are more affected by wind than others depending on how sheltered they are, how long the crossing is.”

She says if you are taking a sailing this weekend, it may be a rocky ride and you may be asked to stay inside.

“Be mindful when you’re walking across the decks, those waves can come up quickly and knock people off their feet. Just listen to the safety instructions from crews.”

If you’re a customer who has a reservation and a sailing is cancelled due to weather, Marlow says you’re not entitled to a refund.

“While compensation is not provided for sailing cancellations that are outside of our control (e.g. weather, medical emergencies, rescue operations, natural disasters, security, and law enforcement issues, etc), if a cancellation within our control occurs (e.g. mechanical issues, crew availability, human error) that prevents you from reaching your final destination on the same day, as planned, you can submit a compensation request with your receipts to our Customer Relations department.”