Mechanical problem strands passengers on Nanaimo ferry route

Photo: BC Ferries

Mechanical difficulties with the Queen of Oak Bay stranded ferry passengers for hours Wednesday night and resulted in sailing cancellations and delays between Departure Bay in Nanaimo and Horseshoe Bay Thursday morning.

The 6:15 and 10:40 a.m. sailings out of Horseshoe Bay were cancelled, as were the 8:25 a.m. and 1 p.m. sailings out of Departure Bay in Nanaimo.

B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said the Queen of Oak Bay experienced a hydraulic failure of the steering pump Wednesday evening during its scheduled 8:05 p.m. sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay.

As part of safety procedures, the vessel stopped on its approach to Departure Bay and was assisted by a tug to dock safely at Departure Bay, where it pulled in about 1 a.m. Thursday morning, said Marshall.

While the Queen of Oak Bay’s sailings between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay were cancelled, sailings of the Queen of Coquitlam, the other vessel servicing the route, will continue, she said.

Marshall said B.C. Ferries is awaiting an update from its engineers regarding the status of the Queen of Oak Bay and an update from its operations team regarding contingency plans for the day.

Customers are being urged to use the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay or Tsawwassen to Duke Point in Nanaimo routes.