Strong winds damage BC Ferries vessel and prompt sailing cancellations, delays

VANCOUVER – Strong winds prompted BC Ferries to cancel most sailings between the Vancouver and Victoria areas on Saturday, with one vessel suffering damage from the adverse weather.

The ferry operator cancelled nearly all afternoon and evening sailings between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay and warned customers they may experience long waits outside the terminal.

The Spirit of British Columbia was docking in Tsawwassen when it suffered damage to its rubbing strake, while the Coastal Renaissance experienced a mechanical issue that made it unable to travel in the choppy waters.

The Queen of New Westminster was midway through its 8 a.m. sailing from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen when the crew decided it was unsafe to complete the journey.

The vessel idled in calmer waters near Pender Island before heading back to Swartz Bay around 11 a.m., unloading passengers and vehicles and waiting until 3 p.m. to attempt another crossing.

Two sailings between Tsawwassen and Duke Point in Nanaimo were also cancelled on Saturday.

A wind warning was in effect for Metro Vancouver with Environment Canada predicting gusts of up to 80 kilometres an hour and cautioning that power outages and downed trees were possible.

“The sailings that were affected were the ones coming in and out of Tsawwassen. The winds were really strong through the Strait of Georgia and around the Tsawwassen terminal,” said BC Ferries spokeswoman Astrid Braunschmidt.

There were higher than normal traffic volumes at Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen because of the cancellations and BC Ferries asked anyone who was looking to travel through those terminals on Saturday to give themselves extra time.

“We certainly apologize for the delays. These weather delays come up from time to time and we know it’s really frustrating when people can’t get to the destinations they were planning to get to,” Braunschmidt said.

“We just want to thank our customers for their patience as we wait for the weather to calm down. Safety being our top priority, we wanted to make sure that it was safe to sail, and the winds were just too high for a good portion of the day.”

Several thousand customers lost power between Courtenay and Nanaimo on eastern Vancouver Island, while a tree was reported down in Surrey and affected nearly 500 customers.

The Vancouver Park Board closed the Stanley Park seawall between Third Beach and the Lions Gate Bridge because large waves were crashing onto the popular walking and cycling path.

(The Canadian Press, CKNW)