The Queen of Surrey experienced a mechanical problem on Route 3 between Langdale and Horseshoe Bay on her first day back in service, May 6.
BC Ferries told Coast Reporter, the vessel experienced an electrical issue earlier in the day, but was never pulled from service and the problem was resolved by 3 p.m.
In an email, BC Ferries explained the problem did cause some delays due to the fact the electrical issue meant loading and unloading were limited to one end of the vessel, so the 40-year-old Queen of Surrey had to turn around in order to berth and load. It also confirmed, going forward the vessel will continue to load from both ends.
“This highlights the ongoing challenges of operating an aging fleet and why our fleet renewal strategy is so important,” BC Ferries said in the email. “It also underscores why we made the case for adding a net new vessel to improve resilience across the system. While our request for five new major vessels wasn’t approved, we were granted approval for four. We’ll continue to advocate for the resources needed to ensure reliable service for the future.”
As reporter earlier in Coast Reporter, the Queen of Surrey experienced a propulsion system issue this past New Years’ Day and was scheduled to be back in service Jan. 28.
The ship then went in for a scheduled retrofit on March 27, so it wasn’t available for the Easter long weekend and no extra sailings were added, causing lengthy delays between Langdale and Horseshoe Bay.
