BC Ferries says the Spirit of Vancouver Island, which operates between Swartz Bay and Vancouver, is back in service as of Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe starboard generator issue affecting the\u00a0Spirit of Vancouver Island\u00a0on the Swartz Bay (Victoria) \u2013 Tsawwassen (Vancouver) route has been repaired,\u201d stated the corporation just after 2 p.m. on Friday. <\/p>\n
The vessel returns to the water today to support additional sailings over the long weekend. <\/p>\n
However, BC Ferries says the additional sailings are for standby customers already at the terminals, not for advance booking. <\/p>\n
\u201cStandby space will be limited, and customers without a reservation should expect delays.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the coming days, BC Ferries plans to contact customers with cancelled reservations. <\/p>\n
\u201cAdditional space will be made available for booking as capacity is confirmed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The following schedule will be in place through April 8.<\/p>\n
Added Sailings, April 4:<\/p>\n
Departing TsawwassenDeparting Duke Point8:15 pm8:15 pm10:45 pm10:45 pm<\/p>\n
Added Sailings, April 5:<\/p>\n
Departing TsawwassenDeparting Duke Point5:15 am5:15 am7:45 am7:45 am<\/p>\n
Story continues.<\/p>\n
Earlier Friday morning, BC Ferries confirmed it had three major vessels out of commission during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, BC Ferries confirmed two major vessels had been taken out of service. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Prior to Friday afternoon\u2019s 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<\/a> over the past two weeks. <\/p>\n On Friday, BC Ferries confirmed the Coastal Celebration was also out of commission. <\/p>\n The vessel, which runs between Tsawwassen and Duke Point, has been docked at Swartz Bay since March 8 for its annual refit, and isn\u2019t expected back in service until April 27, pending successful completion of the refit, says BC Ferries.<\/p>\n In an email to CHEK Friday BC Ferries says \u201cThe Coastal Celebration has been at Swartz Bay for its planned mandatory annual refit since March 8th. With the vessel\u2019s planned refit well underway, it\u2019s not possible to bring it back into service before its scheduled re-entry into service between Tsawwassen \u2013 Duke Point at the end of April.\u201d<\/p>\n BC Ferries has scheduled eight extra sailings on Saturday and Sunday to make up for the cancellations.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is exactly why we\u2019ve 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,\u201d states the corporation.<\/p>\n Following the week of service disruptions, BC Ferries president and CEO Nicolas Jimenez\u00a0defended the corporation\u2019s reliable service despite the issues and growing frustrations. <\/p>\n He said there were \u201ca combination of factors\u201d leading to the disruptions that had no single solution.<\/p>\n 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\u2019 hands.<\/p>\n