'Mechanical difficulty' cancels 2 sailings on major BC Ferries route

A BC Ferries vessel is seen in this undated image. (Shutterstock)

There was some frustration for New Year's Eve travellers after BC Ferries was forced to cancel two sailings between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

The company blamed the cancellations on a "mechanical difficulty" on one of its vessels, which prevented the 3:45 sailing from Horseshoe Bay and the 5:55 p.m. sailing from Nanaimo's Departure Bay.

"If you have a booking on one of these cancelled sailings, you will hear from our Customer Service Centre who will let you know if we can fit you on an alternate sailing later today, or if your booking must be cancelled," BC Ferries said in a service notice.

People who cannot be re-booked will be provided a refund, the company said.

The issue initially threatened to halt two other sailings on the route, at 8:05 p.m. and 10:10 p.m., but BC Ferries said technicians were on site addressing the mechanical problem and that those departures were expected to leave as scheduled.

"We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of these cancellations," the company added.