Close X
Wednesday, November 13, 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

Vehicle weekend shooting in Surrey

Vehicle weekend shooting in Surrey
Police in Surrey say they are investigating after shots were fired into a vehicle by an unknown assailant over the weekend. Surrey R-C-M-P say the shooting happened on the evening of August 17th, when a white S-U-V travelling south on 124 Street was allegedly followed by a suspect vehicle described as a silver Toyota Corolla.

Vehicle weekend shooting in Surrey

Man charged in Surrey murder

Man charged in Surrey murder
A 24-year-old man has been charged in the stabbing death of another man that happened in Surrey in July. BC's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says police were called to the scene of a fight on King George Boulevard on July 23rd and found a man identified as Jason Richard Gill suffering from multiple stab wounds.

Man charged in Surrey murder

White Rock scammers using technology to impersonate known companies to dupe people out of money

White Rock scammers using technology to impersonate known companies to dupe people out of money
Police in White Rock say scammers are using technology to impersonate well-known companies to dupe people out of money.  R-C-M-P say impostors use text messages, phone calls, emails and social media messages to scam people into thinking their from banks, or big companies like Amazon, FedEx and Microsoft. 

White Rock scammers using technology to impersonate known companies to dupe people out of money

4 in hospital in rollover crash

4 in hospital in rollover crash
Surrey R-C-M-P say a rollover crash sent two drivers, a passenger and an infant to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries yesterday afternoon.  Mounties say the crash happened in Whalley at King George Boulevard and 96th Avenue. 

4 in hospital in rollover crash

Rollout of Alberta's school cellphone ban raising concerns among teachers

Rollout of Alberta's school cellphone ban raising concerns among teachers
President Jason Schilling said about two weeks before most kindergarten to Grade 12 students go back to class, it's unclear why new provincial standards will be in place for Sept. 1, while school divisions have until Jan. 1 to put their own policies and procedures on the books.

Rollout of Alberta's school cellphone ban raising concerns among teachers

Harris, Walz understand the Canada-U.S. relationship, ambassador says

Harris, Walz understand the Canada-U.S. relationship, ambassador says
Canada’s ambassador to the United States says she's telling Americans about the important relationship between the neighbours as Democrats develop their foreign policy and build unity behind Vice-President Kamala Harris at the party's national convention. Kirsten Hillman says she is talking with Democrats about how Canada makes the U.S. more resilient, secure and prosperous. 

Harris, Walz understand the Canada-U.S. relationship, ambassador says