'Mechanical issue' delays several sailings on major BC Ferries route

The Spirit of Vancouver Island is seen in an undated image from the BC Ferries website.

A mechanical issue on an early sailing between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland has led to cascading delays for several BC Ferries voyages Saturday.

The 7 a.m. sailing from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen departed one hour and 38 minutes behind schedule, BC Ferries said in a statement, describing the delay as "due to a mechanical issue with the vessel's propulsion system which has since been resolved."

"We expect the 9 a.m. departing Tsawwassen, the 11 a.m. departing Swartz Bay, and the 1 p.m. departing Tsawwassen to also be delayed," the provincial ferry service said, advising travellers to check conditions on its website.

Avery Bonner and his partner got up early Saturday in hopes of making it from Victoria to the Abbotsford Airshow for 9:30 a.m., when the gates open.

Bonner said the 7 a.m. sailing was supposed to be aboard the Spirit of Vancouver Island, but the vessel – which was retrofitted in 2018 to run on liquefied natural gas – was emitting thick black smoke.

Crews told passengers the vessel could not depart because of a mechanical issue, Bonner said.

He said passengers from the Spirit of Vancouver Island were eventually loaded onto the 8 a.m. sailing aboard the Queen of New Westminster instead.

Bonner told CTV News he expected to arrive at the airshow around 11 a.m. as a result of the delay.

"It's frustrating," he said.

BC Ferries advised customers with reservations on Saturday sailings to arrive during the scheduled check-in window, regardless of the delays.

"This ensures we can stage your vehicle at the terminal ahead of standby customers and those reserved on later sailings," the company said.

"We know you have important places to be and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of this sailing delay."