Ferry cancellations on route between West Vancouver, Sunshine Coast leads to multiple sailing waits ahead of spring break

Cars wait at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal in West Vancouver in this undated image. (Shutterstock)

Multiple ferry cancellations due to a mechanical issue may have led to sailing waits on the route between West Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast Friday.

BC Ferries said in a statement that four runs of the Queen of Coquitlam travelling between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale were cancelled Friday morning because of a problem with the ship's main engine. The 9:45 and 11:55 a.m. sailings from Horseshoe Bay, and the 10:50 a.m. and 1:05 p.m. sailings from Langdale were all impacted.

"We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of this cancellation," a statement from BC Ferries said.

"Repairs are underway and we will provide updates as soon as more information becomes available."

Those who had made reservations for the sailings were refunded. They weren't rescheduled, however, and had to wait for a sailing on standby.

One option offered to passengers was a 40-person water taxi that provided free service between the two ferry terminals. However, long-term parking wasn't available on the Horseshoe Bay side because of construction at the parkade.

Those opting for standby may have had to wait multiple sailings. As of 1 p.m., there was a three-sailing wait for those travelling from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale. The 8:45 and 10:55 p.m. sailings were already nearly 70 per cent full.

Meanwhile, those coming from Langdale faced a two-sailing wait as of 1 p.m.

In spite of it being the Friday before spring break for many B.C. families, other sailings didn't appear to have significant waits. Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay had a one-sailing wait, but the other direction of that route didn't have any wait at all as of Friday afternoon.