A BC Ferries vessel has broken down on a busy Easter Monday travel day.
The Queen of Coquitlam experienced a mechanical issue around 1 p.m. and as a result, some sailings between Langdale (Sunshine Coast) and Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) have been cancelled.
The following sailings are cancelled:
- 2:10 p.m. departing Horseshoe Bay
- 3:15 p.m. departing Langdale
BC Ferries said at 2:20 p.m. that it was a pitch control issue with its vessel and that has now been repaired.
“The vessel will conduct sea trials using the available tug while the crew awaits final approval from Transport Canada to resume service with the 4:20 pm sailing to Langdale,” organization said in a news release.
If anyone has a booking on one of the cancelled sailings they will be contacted, the organization said.
In the meantime, three 12-passenger water taxis have been sourced to provide complimentary passenger travel between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale terminals. This service is expected to start shortly and operate in shuttle mode.
Rohana Rezel was on board the ferry when it stopped working.
He and his family went to the Sunshine Coast for the weekend and while the ferry left Langdale on time, after only a few nautical miles from the terminal, the ferry broke down.
“They said once the tugboat gets here, it’s going to be about another 40 minutes to the terminal,” Rezel said.
The boat was stopped for about three hours.
Rezel said some people on board have flights to catch and others have appointments so there are some frustrated passengers.
“Especially, given that it’s a long weekend, they should make sure the ferries are in ship shape, so to speak,” he added.
This comes after a busy Good Friday at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal when about 40 vehicles missed their reservation due to a massive backlog of traffic at the terminal and on Highway 1.
West Vancouver police even warned people to stay away as Highway 1 approaching Horseshoe Bay was heavily backed up due to Whistler traffic, along with ferry traffic.
BC Ferries said that the congestion on Highway 1 was compounded by a surge in Whistler-bound traffic and a broken-down commercial vehicle blocking a lane on the Upper Levels.