As a record summer season at BC Ferries comes to an end, problems at the transportation company are surfacing as one of its oldest vessels is forced to undergo major repairs.
The 60-year-old MV Queen of New Westminster (pictured at top) was pulled from service after one of its propellers broke loose from its propulsion shaft at the Swartz Bay terminal. The giant 4,535 kilogram (10,000 pound) propeller was recovered from the seafloor through a nighttime operation organized to minimize service interruptions. Repairs to the MV Queen of New Westminster are expected to take at least six months at a drydock in Esquimalt according to a press release from the company.
All sailings booked on the MV Queen of New Westminster were cancelled through September 30th, 2024. The vessel serves the busy Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay alongside the fleet’s flagship vessels: the MV Spirit of British Columbia and MV Spirit of Vancouver Island.
During June and July, more than five million passengers and two million vehicles sailed on the ferry network. And while the summer rush is over, busy holiday travel periods, starting with the days around Thanksgiving, are just weeks away. During this period, seven other ships are scheduled for refits, including the MV Queen of Alberni, MV Queen of Coquitlam and MV Queen of Cowichan.
BC Ferries is in the process of replacing its older ships with a new major vessel class that can each carry up to 360 vehicles and 2,100 passengers.
Source: BC Ferries press release
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