An absence of one month is expected to be longer for the Queen of New Westminster ferry.
The ferry is now expected to be sidelined for at least six months after crews recovered the fallen off propeller and found more damage than previously anticipated.
President and CEO of BC Ferries Nicolas Jimenez said the fleet is understaffed and if a backup ferry was available the incident would have minimal impact on sailings.
“This situation highlights the clear need for resiliency in our fleet to meet customer expectations and it’s why we will be seeking approval from the Ferry Commissioner to build and add a net new vessel to our major routes.”
BC Ferries initially estimated the ferry would be out of service through September 30, but a preliminary inspection indicated a fracture of the propeller’s shaft could be caused from structural fatigue.
Multiple repairs are needed on the starboard and port side propeller systems, including the complete disassembling of both systems.
Vice President of Engineering Stephen Jones said their technical team is skilled and have decades of experience repairing vessels.
“We are confident we will complete these substantial repairs and return the vessel to service as quickly and safely as possible.”
The 10,000-pound propeller was half submerged in the seabed and required a two-day recovery operation to not interfere with daytime sailings.
All Queen of New Westminster sailings have been cancelled through September 30 already and the company is looking at altering schedules to accommodate the loss.
