BC Ferries said it will be months before the Duke Point berth can be opened after an incoming vessel rammed into the landing docks on Tuesday.
Spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said a preliminary investigation showed an electronic failure in a control system that may have caused the hard landing but it has not been verified.
"I wouldn't want to preclude the investigation by making any comments about it, but we will be certainly investigating what happened," she said.
The Coastal Inspiration ferry rammed into the Nanaimo landing dock shortly before 3 p.m. Tuesday, causing significant damage to the vessel and injuring a crew member and a passenger onboard.
Both suffered only minor injuries, the company said.
A tug boat pulled the damaged ferry around to neighbouring Departure Bay, delaying passengers by hours and halting all remaining sailings in and out of Duke Point.
The eight scheduled sailings between Duke Point and Tswwassen will depart on time but will be rerouted through Departure Bay until further notice.
But at the busiest time of the year, riders can expect to wait even longer to travel between Vancouver Island and the Mainland.
If passengers need to travel between the Nanaimo ports to pick-up parked vehicles or catch a ride, a temporary shuttle bus will be provided.
