COMOX, B.C.- The Salish Orca is undergoing repairs, so one of its sister vessels is filling in on the run between Powell River and Comox.
BC Ferries’ Salish Raven has been serving the route while the Orca undergoes some warranty work.
“We have had some issues with the ventilation in the galley on-board the vessel, so we are upgrading that system to ensure the cooling is adequate for the galley staff,” said Deborah Marshall, Executive Director of Public Affairs for BC Ferries.
“We are also doing some work on some doors, elevators and a few other warranty items that (are) being covered by the shipyard.”
The warranty upgrades are taking place at the company’s refit facility in Richmond.
The Salish Raven started service in August 2017, and was operating between Tsawwassen and the Southern Gulf Islands.
BC Ferries has a third Salish-class vessel. The Salish Eagle is based at Long Harbour on Salt Spring Island, and serves the Gulf Islands to Tsawwassen.
The Orca is set to return to service on the Comox-Powell River route in early February.
“We want to keep in mind that because these vessels are inter-operable, they are sister ships, they will be rotating throughout the service areas,” she said.
This means that although the Orca is set to return to service in February, it may not always be the ferry serving that specific run.
“Over the course of the fall and winter is the time when we do all of our refits on our vessels, so there is no impact on our service,” Marshall noted.
“We do have a sufficient number of vessels to cover all of the routes (in the BC Ferries’ fleet).”
For more on the Salish-class vessels, visit BC Ferries’ website through this link.
