Second B.C. Ferries vessel will be pulled from service for repairs after Thanksgiving

A second B.C. Ferries vessel will be temporarily pulled from service to undergo repairs after the Thanksgiving long weekend, resulting in 14 cancelled sailings in October.

B.C. Ferries said in a press conference the Spirit of Vancouver Island, which travels the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay route, will be put in dry dock for work on its hull. The work on the vessel, one of the largest in B.C. Ferries' fleet, is slated to take nine days, from Oct. 10 to 18.

Brian Anderson with B.C. Ferries said engineers discovered a crack in a ballast during a routine pre-sailing check. Temporary repairs were completed and B.C. Ferries sought permission from Transport Canada to keep the vessel in service over the long weekend.

"While traffic generally is lower post-Thanksgiving, customers travelling with vehicles during that time period who do not book in advance can expect some sailing waits," he said.

Customers with bookings on the 14 cancelled sailings will be contacted and accommodated, he said.

The move comes as the Coastal Renaissance vessel remains out of service. That vessel was taken out of commission on Aug. 17 and its rotor is currently undergoing repairs in Indiana. The ferry is expected to be back in service in early December.

B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers Union president Eric McNeely said B.C. Ferries is likely timing the work to minimize impact on the long weekend.

"I think the Spirit of Vancouver Island is being worked as much as it can be safely to ensure there is less disruption to the travelling public," said McNeely.

"Thanksgiving weekend is historically, for foot traffic on major routes, the busiest weekend of the year."

B.C. Ferries said it is anticipating 400,000 passengers over the Thanksgiving weekend, and has undergone preparations to accommodate a higher volume of travellers.

The summer of 2023 was a difficult one for B.C. Ferries, which experienced technical difficulties with vessels, last-minute cancellations, staffing shortages and confusion about the availability of reservations online, often resulting in long wait times for passengers.