The Queen of New Westminster is down for the count this weekend.
According to BC Ferries, the issue with the vessel lies in a mechanical difficulty with the ship’s rudder, making steering a potential hazard if left unchecked.
The Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen route is the only one being impacted by the situation.
Between Thursday, February 22nd and Sunday, February 25th, 10 sailings are being cancelled because of the mechanical issue.
The cancelled sailings include:
- Thursday, February 22
- 4 p.m. departing Tsawwassen
- 6 p.m. departing Swartz Bay
- Friday, February 23
- 12 p.m. departing Tsawwassen
- 2p.m. departing Swartz Bay
- 4 p.m. departing Tsawwassen
- 6 p.m. departing Swartz Bay
- Sunday, February 25
- 12 p.m. departing Tsawwassen
- 2 p.m. departing Swartz Bay
- 4 p.m. departing Tsawwassen
- 6 p.m. departing Swartz Bay
BC Ferries says that divers investigated the problem and replacement parts are set to arrive within the next few days.
The ferry company hopes that the issue will be resolved and the Queen of New Westminster will be back in service come next week.
Other sailings on the Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen route will be unaffected, but could fill up faster than normal because of the vessel being out of service.
Any customer who had booked one of the cancelled sailings will be receiving a notification from a BC Ferries customer service representative.
“We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of these cancellations,” said BC Ferries in their service notice.
For up-to-date information, follow BC Ferries on X (formerly Twitter) or visit their website.
