Mechanical issue on Sunshine Coast ferry leads to cancellations, lengthy sailing waits

Travellers going between West Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast Tuesday faced sailing cancellations and waits after a vessel had a mechanical issue.

In an initial warning to travellers, BC Ferries said the Queen of Surrey's 6:20 a.m. sailing out of Langdale was delayed while crews looked into a problem with the ship's controllable pitch propeller. BC Ferries later updated its statement to say sailings were cancelled.

The cancellations impacted both that 6:20 sailing, and the 7:30 one out of Horseshoe Bay.

"While our crews work to repair the vessel, the Queen of Coquitlam will provide service between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale," a statement from the company said.

"Every effort will be made to accommodate reserved traffic on the next available sailing."

Even though another vessel is being used, BC Ferries warned vehicle space is limited to the main car deck, because loading in Langdale needs to be done in another berth while the Queen of Surrey is under repair.

As a result, travellers faced lengthy sailing waits. As of 10:30 a.m., the next sailing with space available wasn't until 4:45 p.m. Meanwhile, heading the other direction, sailings were full until 5:55 p.m.

Ralph Kahn, who lives in Powell River, said he expects he'll have to wait six hours to get on a sailing and may even need to spend the night in Sechelt.

"The last connection for Powell River we won't be able to get," Kahn said, explaining what will happen if he doesn't make the 4:45 p.m. sailing.

"For people having to wait that long and not even sure if they can go to the bathroom depending on how far the lineup is … people are going to go nuts."

Kahn said he'd like to see compensation from BC Ferries, especially if he has to stay overnight.

"Their system is breaking down," he said. 

The company said it's also running a 12-passenger water taxi for foot passengers. The schedule of the water taxi can be see here. 

"Reserved customers who would like to cancel their booking can contact us for a full refund or have their reservation moved to an alternate sailing free of charge," BC Ferries' statement said.

"We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of this cancellation."