BC Ferries says the Spirit of Vancouver Island, which operates between Swartz Bay and Vancouver, is back in service as of Friday afternoon.

“The starboard generator issue affecting the Spirit of Vancouver Island on the Swartz Bay (Victoria) – Tsawwassen (Vancouver) route has been repaired,” stated the corporation just after 2 p.m. on Friday.

The vessel returns to the water today to support additional sailings over the long weekend.

However, BC Ferries says the additional sailings are for standby customers already at the terminals, not for advance booking.

“Standby space will be limited, and customers without a reservation should expect delays.”

Over the coming days, BC Ferries plans to contact customers with cancelled reservations.

“Additional space will be made available for booking as capacity is confirmed.”

The following schedule will be in place through April 8.

Added Sailings, April 4:

Departing TsawwassenDeparting Duke Point8:15 pm8:15 pm10:45 pm10:45 pm

Added Sailings, April 5:

Departing TsawwassenDeparting Duke Point5:15 am5:15 am7:45 am7:45 am

Story continues.

Earlier Friday morning, BC Ferries confirmed it had three major vessels out of commission during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

On Thursday, BC Ferries confirmed two major vessels had been taken out of service.

The Queen of Surrey, which runs between Tsawwassen and Duke Point, is out of commission after a routine refit found additional problems, delaying its scheduled return.

Six sailings have been cancelled as a result of the refit delay, including four on Thursday along with two sailings Friday morning. To support the disruptions, BC Ferries has added two sailings on Saturday and another two on Sunday.

Prior to Friday afternoon’s announcement, the Spirit of Vancouver Island, which provides regular service between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay, was previously out of service due to issues with its starboard generator over the past two weeks.

On Friday, BC Ferries confirmed the Coastal Celebration was also out of commission.

The vessel, which runs between Tsawwassen and Duke Point, has been docked at Swartz Bay since March 8 for its annual refit, and isn’t expected back in service until April 27, pending successful completion of the refit, says BC Ferries.

In an email to CHEK Friday BC Ferries says “The Coastal Celebration has been at Swartz Bay for its planned mandatory annual refit since March 8th. With the vessel’s planned refit well underway, it’s not possible to bring it back into service before its scheduled re-entry into service between Tsawwassen – Duke Point at the end of April.”

BC Ferries has scheduled eight extra sailings on Saturday and Sunday to make up for the cancellations.

“This is exactly why we’ve advocated for a fifth New Major Vessel, which could provide additional relief in moments like this. Without that extra vessel, our ability to absorb disruptions like this is limited,” states the corporation.

Following the week of service disruptions, BC Ferries president and CEO Nicolas Jimenez defended the corporation’s reliable service despite the issues and growing frustrations.

He said there were “a combination of factors” leading to the disruptions that had no single solution.

Jimenez also mentioned the need for a fifth new vessel to be added, which he says was proposed and rejected last year, adding that the decision was out of his and BC Ferries’ hands.

For the latest sailing information, visit BC Ferries.

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