Friday 9 October 2009

Challenging times for BC Ferries

Last week it was the washrooms aboard MV Quinsam being closed, following the apparent failure of the sewage disposal system installed just a few months ago during the first part of the vessel's mid-life refit.

Yesterday, BC Ferries announced reduced capacity on its Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route starting 13 October, while the giant S-Class vessel Spirit of British Columbia (410 cars, 2,100 passengers) is taken out of service for annual maintenance and recertification. In its place the 45-year old Queen of New Westminster will accommodate only 270 cars and 1,300 passengers.

Just as the Thanksgiving weekend gets underway, a generator fire aboard the second S-Class vessel Spirit of Vancouver Island has resulted in the cancellation of 4 out of the 14 round trips today on the busy Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route. Holders of Assured Loading Tickets on that route today will find that they are not being honoured, meaning that they will have to join the line-up like everyone else. With 1,600 fewer car spaces each way today, that could be a pretty long line.

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