BC Ferries says sailings from West Vancouver to the Sunshine Coast have resumed Wednesday afternoon after a morning breakdown led to the cancellation of several sailings throughout the day.
The company says the Queen of Surrey’s generator failed while on the water between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale around 9 a.m.
BC Ferries says the generator issue has been repaired.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!
Shortly after the breakdown, the company said it would provide four 12-passenger water taxis to supplement service.
“If you have a booking on one of these cancelled sailings, you will hear from our Customer Service Centre who will let you know if we can fit you on an alternate sailing later today, or if your booking must be cancelled. In the case of a cancellation, we will refund your fees and/or fares,” said a BC Ferries statement.
Callers to 1130 NewsRadio said they were on board when the issue began, and that right after it happened, there were no lights on the vessel.
“They restored electricity fairly quickly,” senior communications advisor Sheila Reynolds said.
“It was announced over the PA system, so customers knew what was going on.”
The Queen of Surrey was held in dock as the issue was being investigated before sailings were officially cancelled, she says.
Truck driver Mark tells 1130 NewsRadio he was aboard the Queen of Surrey when it broke down.
After 27 years of commuting by ferry, he says nothing fazes him anymore.
“It’s hit and miss,” said Mark.
“Grocery stores, they’re waiting for the stuff that’s on my truck, so they might have to wait til after they close when I get there. Who knows?”
The same vessel was out of commission for several days at the start of the month, causing delays during the busy Easter long weekend.
Its temporary decommission was extended when BC Ferries identified additional work needed during a refit.
“It’s just been going on for a long, long time. I understand mechanical things break, but it’s getting ridiculous,” said Mark.
Reynolds says Wednesday’s issue was separate from previous disruptions.
“We fully acknowledge it’s been a really tough, tough stretch on this route, and we know how important the service is, like day-to-day to those communities, especially in Langdale,” she said.
“The reality is we’re operating older vessels, and when something goes wrong, there just isn’t backup available. So we understand that it’s frustrating and it really damages confidence in our service. But right now, our focus is just on getting that service restored safely and, longer term, replacing these vessels so customers can count on more consistent service from us.”
Listen live to 1130 NewsRadio Vancouver ferry and weather updates every 10 minutes with traffic on the ones. You can also subscribe to breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
