On a second consecutive day of mechanical breakdowns for the vessels that serve Route 3 between Langdale and Horseshoe Bay, BC Ferries (BCF) will put the Queen of Alberni into the mix.
At 5:12 p.m., BCF issued a statement that "to alleviate traffic volumes between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale, the Queen of Alberni will be sailing on a revised schedule this evening, departing Horseshoe Bay for Langdale at 7:20 p.m. and at 8:30 p.m. departing Langdale for Horseshoe Bay.
"To provide this additional service to the Sunshine Coast today, the originally scheduled 7:20 p.m. sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay will be re-scheduled to 9:35 p.m. All customers with bookings on this sailing will be contacted by our Customer Service centre and moved to the new 9:35 p.m. departure."
Shortly before noon, the Queen of Surrey experienced a mechanical issue with one of its main engines, so was held in Horseshoe Bay until it resumed service at 3:45 p.m.
BCF Spokesperson Deborah Marshall told Coast Reporter by email that, "Repairs took longer than originally anticipated. We were not able to press the Coquitlam into service for the scheduled 3:35 pm sailing," as engineering staff need for crew the Coquitlam were on the Horseshoe Bay side.
The company's website shows that no sailings left either of the Route 3 ports between 11:34 a.m. and 3:45 p.m., leaving travellers waiting on both sides.
On Aug. 23, the Queen of Surrey started her day with a propeller issue, delaying early morning sailings. Her relief vessel, the Coquitlam, ran into mechanical difficulties that afternoon.
In the release BC Ferries recommends travelled follow @BCFerries on Twitter, visit our Current Conditions webpage at bcferries.com or call us toll free at 1-888-223-3779 for the most up to date information on sailings.
