High winds and mechanical issue lead to frustration and cancellations for BC Ferries

A BC Ferries vessel is pictured in this file photo. (CTV News)

HORSESHOE BAY, B.C. -

For the second day in a row, BC Ferries has cancelled multiple sailings due to adverse weather.

It comes amid a wind warning that’s creating choppy conditions on the water.

The following sailings have been impacted for Tuesday, Nov. 8.

 

Queen of Cowichan

Cancelled sailings:

• 6:15 a.m. departing Departure Bay
• 8:25 a.m. departing Horseshoe Bay
• 10:40 a.m. departing Departure Bay

Sailings at risk of cancellation:

• 1 p.m. departing Horseshoe Bay
• 3:20 p.m. departing Departure Bay
• 10:10 p.m. departing Horseshoe Bay

 

Queen of Oak Bay

Cancelled sailings:

• 6:15 a.m. leaving Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver)
• 8:25 a.m. leaving Departure Bay (Nanaimo)

 

Sailings at risk of cancellation:

• 10:40 a.m. leaving Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver)
• 1 p.m. leaving Departure Bay (Nanaimo)

 

Thirty-six sailings were cancelled due to weather on Monday, half of which were on the Horseshoe Bay- Departure Bay route.

The rest were between Alliford Bay and Skidegate.

Some passengers heading to and from Nanaimo have been trying to get to their destinations for more than 24 hours.

After the four early morning sailings along the route were cancelled, the weather improved and it appeared that they may get on the 10:40 a.m.

But less than an hour before it was set to depart, BC Ferries announced there was a mechanical issue on the Queen of Surrey.

“That's the vessel that travels between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale. What we're doing to get service going again, is we're going to be moving the Queen of Oak Bay, which travels normally between Horseshoe Bay and departure Bay, and we're going to move it to do the service to and from Langdale,” said Astrid Chang, a spokesperson for BC Ferries.

That means there will be reduced service between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay, which has already been hampered by cancellations due to high winds.

“They had all day yesterday canceled all the ferries, so why didn't they fix them yesterday?” Questioned Norm Rinehart, who was trying to get home to Nanoose Bay.

Melanie Smith from North Vancouver called the plan to divert a ship to the Sunshine Coast run “unacceptable.”

“They canceled the ferries last night due to the winds. So we had a reservation for this morning, 10:40 a.m. We've come and they've canceled it due to the ferry being mechanical,” said Smith giving a sarcastic thumbs up.

Tyler Herman from Courtney shared her frustrations.

“It's out of my hands. I can't be mad about it. It is what it is,” said Herman.

“There's a lot of people that don't have other means to stay warm even. So we're all just kind of stranded,” he added.

BC Ferries apologized for the inconvenience, but said safety was its number one priority.

"We have thresholds in which we can sail the ships at, and if it dips below those we’re going to do everything we can to get those ships going, but if it goes above then we are in trouble. We are really just at the mercy of whatever the winds do and whatever the seas determine we are going to do,” said Daniel McIntosh of BC Ferries.

The company says the parameters for a weather related cancellation are different on every route and every ship.

However, wind speed, direction, and sea state, the size of the ocean swells are all factors.

An alternate route is available between Tsawwassen and Duke Point.

“We emphasize for sure. I mean, I think everybody's been there, stuck waiting for something to go, but the weather is what the weather is. We can't control that aspect of the business and so we just have to abide by whatever Mother Nature decides,” said McIntosh.

Environment Canada has issued a wind warning for Howe Sound, with gusts of wind forecast to whip up to 90 kilometres an hour.

The strong arctic outflow is expected to continue through to Wednesday morning.

 

Power outages

The high winds have led to a number of power outages on both the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast.

BC Hydro issued a regional alert Tuesday morning saying that crews were making steady progress on restoring power to customers on the Sunshine Coast.

“Our crews will be continuing to work around the clock until all customers are restored, but we expect some customers on Gambier Island and small pockets of customers in Gibsons may remain without power overnight,” said BC Hydro in an advisory.

The utility thanked customers for their patience and said it would continue to provide updated estimates for power restoration as they become available.