One of BC Ferries’ busiest vessels taken out of service for 6 months

The Queen of New Westminster, one of BC Ferries’ busiest vessels, will be out of service for approximately six months, the company says.

The vessel services the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay sailing — BC Ferries’ busiest route.

Earlier this week, the company announced the 60-year-old vessel was being pulled due to mechanical issues after one of its propellers was sheared off, leading to the cancellation of all the ship’s sailings for the rest of the month.

“A preliminary visual inspection seems to indicate the fracture of the propeller shaft could be related to structural fatigue,” BC Ferries said.

“The required repairs are anticipated to be significant and include work on both the port and starboard propeller systems before the vessel can be returned to service.”

The affected parts need to replaced by specially manufactured systems. Return to service will be reliant on “global parts availability and manufacturing timelines.”

“This situation highlights the clear need for resiliency in our fleet to meet customer expectations, and it’s why we will be seeking approval from the Ferry Commissioner to build and add a net new vessel to our major routes,” said BC Ferries president and CEO Nicolas Jimenez.

“If we had a backup vessel available, this incident would have had minimal impact on service. It underscores the importance of our fleet renewal strategy to ensure we have the capacity and resilience to manage unexpected issues and vessel repairs.”

Recovery of the 10,000-pound propeller, which was found half-submerged in the seabed, took two days.

BC Ferries says it is still assessing the impact this will have on its sailing schedule. It says it is looking to see if it can add sailings by using other vessels and adjusting its refitting schedule.

With files from Cole Schisler.