BC Ferries vessel Spirit of Vancouver Island. [BC Ferries]
Sunday March 22, 2026 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted 11:48 am PT | Updated 12:05 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Seven delayed sailings on the Swartz Bay (Victoria) – Tsawwassen (Vancouver) route today have resulted from a mechanical difficulty with the vessel’s starboard generator.
Starboard is the nautical term for the right side of a vessel when facing forward towards the bow.
This started with one cancelled sailing at 7 am that was to depart from Swartz Bay. That sailing was off-loaded while technicians worked to resolve the problem with the starboard bow thruster.
The 9 am sailing from Swartz Bay was expected to proceed as scheduled.
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Interruptions to Vancouver Island/Mainland travel:
By 9:25 am six more cancelled sailings were announced:
11:00 am departing Swartz Bay
1:00 pm departing Tsawwassen
3:00 pm departing Swartz Bay
5:00 pm departing Tsawwassen
7:00 pm departing Swartz Bay
9:00 pm departing Tsawwassen
Supplemental sailings:
As a result of the mechanical issue, BC Ferries added two supplemental sailings on their busiest route for this morning:
10:00 am departing Swartz Bay
10:00 am departing Tsawwassen
Essential service:
Travel to and from Vancouver Island from the mainland is an essential service in the travel system within BC.
This is a busy spring break travel season.
“We know you have important places to be,” says BC Ferries to their customers, and apologizes for inconveniences.
Further info:
For up-to-date sailing and departure information, check Current Conditions, follow @BCFerries on X or phone 1-888-223-3779 for further assistance.
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