Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
National

Repair work will keep 60-year-old ferry out of service for half a year: BC Ferries

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 09 Sep, 2024 03:05 PM
  • Repair work will keep 60-year-old ferry out of service for half a year: BC Ferries

The company operating British Columbia's ferries says divers have recovered a propeller that fell off one of its vessels and triggered an oil spill earlier this week, but notes it will take six months to complete the needed repairs.

A statement from BC Ferries says the propeller from the 60 year-old Queen of New Westminster -- which weighs about 4,500 kilograms -- was pulled from the seabed Saturday morning after two days of recovery work.

Officials took the ferry out of service earlier this week after discovering the starboard propeller had "sheared off from its propulsion shaft."

The incident also saw about 800 litres of light hydraulic oil spilled into surrounding waters, though BC Ferries says the type of oil leaked "disperses quickly in the marine environment" and no oil sheens have been detected.

The company says a preliminary visual inspection suggests the propeller shaft may have fractured due to structural fatigue, and the repairs are expected to be significant and involve completely disassembling port and starboard propeller systems.

It estimates the full repair could take half a year, noting the work will also depend on global parts availability and manufacturing timelines.

Meanwhile, all of the vessel's sailings up to Sept. 30 have been cancelled, and BC Ferries says it's looking at ways to add additional trips on other boats. 

CEO Nicolas Jimenez said the company plans to ask the BC Ferries Commission for permission to add a net new vessel to its major routes, adding impact to service would have been minimal this week if the company had a backup craft.

The Queen of New Westminster operates on the popular Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay route between Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria. It can carry more than 250 cars and 1,300 passengers.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. caps rent increases next year at 3 per cent, matching inflation

B.C. caps rent increases next year at 3 per cent, matching inflation
The maximum allowable rent increase in British Columbia next year will be 3 per cent, down from the current 3.5 per cent. The Housing Ministry says the new amount, taking effect on Jan. 1, is tied to inflation, and comes after increases were kept "well below inflation" in 2023 and 2024.

B.C. caps rent increases next year at 3 per cent, matching inflation

Vancouver police officer faces possible charges over collision that hurt pedestrian

Vancouver police officer faces possible charges over collision that hurt pedestrian
The Independent Investigations Office is asking prosecutors to consider charges against a Vancouver Police officer whose vehicle hit a pedestrian in the city's Eastside last year. It says in a statement that the officer was responding to a call on the evening of Sept. 29 when his vehicle hit the woman on Commercial Drive.

Vancouver police officer faces possible charges over collision that hurt pedestrian

Man dead after plane crashes in eastern Alberta near Saskatchewan boundary: RCMP

Man dead after plane crashes in eastern Alberta near Saskatchewan boundary: RCMP
The RCMP says a man has died in a plane crash in eastern Alberta near the Saskatchewan boundary. Mounties in Kitscoty were notified of the crash shortly after takeoff.

Man dead after plane crashes in eastern Alberta near Saskatchewan boundary: RCMP

Replica gun used in road rage incident

Replica gun used in road rage incident
Mounties in the Lower Mainland say a man has been charged after a road rage incident where he allegedly used a replica gun to threaten the victim. Surrey R-C-M-P say officers responded to a report of an incident involving a gun along the Fraser Highway near 148 Street last Thursday evening.

Replica gun used in road rage incident

Seizure of illicit drugs on Vancouver Island

Seizure of illicit drugs on Vancouver Island
Police on Vancouver Island say they have seized illicit drugs and guns as part of an investigation targeting mid-level drug trafficking in the Cowichan Valley. R-C-M-P say searches at three homes in the Duncan area and one in Sooke turned up three kilograms of suspected fentanyl, 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as six handguns, including two that were made using a 3-D printer.

Seizure of illicit drugs on Vancouver Island

More shelter beds for people in Victoria street camp cited by police for 'hostility'

More shelter beds for people in Victoria street camp cited by police for 'hostility'
Dozens of new shelter beds are opening for people living on the streets in Victoria, including at an encampment where police escorts have been required for emergency responders. A statement from the Housing Ministry says that up to 72 new beds will be made available for people living on Pandora Avenue and elsewhere.

More shelter beds for people in Victoria street camp cited by police for 'hostility'