What's behind the summer travel chaos at B.C. Ferries?

B.C. Ferries is a crucial part of the province's infrastructure, connecting the Lower Mainland with Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and the Gulf Islands.

Independently managed but provincially owned, the ferries transport tourists to popular vacation destinations and provide essential services to people who live and work on the islands that dot B.C.'s coast and in communities on the central and north coasts.

But this summer, getting on a ferry has felt like scoring tickets to the hottest concert in town, as B.C. Ferries has been plagued by technical difficulties with its vessels, last-minute cancellations, staffing shortages and confusion about the availability of reservations online.

Even B.C. Premier David Eby has weighed in, saying the repeat cancellations are unacceptable.

"Every Islander knows that the ferries are part of our highway system. It's not just, as it is for our family, a good way to visit grandma and to come over to the island for a visit. It's an essential part of the island economy," Eby said.

"It's how people get goods. It's how people get around. And we know the urgency of ensuring that B.C. Ferries delivers for British Columbians."

So what is behind the seemingly never-ending sailing waits and vanishing vessels, and how can you ensure the smoothest possible passage through B.C. waters?

What caused the last-minute cancellations this summer?

Cancellations throughout the summer of 2023 have been frequent, but the biggest impact came when, just hours before one of the busiest long weekends, B.C. Ferries pulled one of its largest vessels from service, leading to eight daily sailing cancellations on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route.

The Coastal Celebration, which carries up to 310 cars and 1,604 passengers and crew between Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria, was scheduled for refits in mid-May in Victoria. But after just one company bid on the contract, the refit was moved to Vancouver and delayed to mid-June.

Once work finally started, it was discovered that the maintenance issues were more complicated than expected, further delaying its seaworthiness.

Spokesperson Karen Johnston told CBC News at the time that B.C. Ferries schedules most of its refits between September and May, before the busy summer travel months. 

"We do our best to control and plan ahead for our refit schedule," explained Johnston.

"This was a situation where there were circumstances beyond our control."

The problems with the Coastal Celebration didn't end there. The vessel saw several cancelled sailings in the past weeks due to a mechanical issue with its propulsion system, and on July 24, the vessel was taken in for repairs after it developed a hydraulic oil leak because of a broken or otherwise ineffective seal.

On July 26, B.C. Ferries said in a statement to CBC News that the Coastal Celebration is on track to be in service Friday, July 28.

"The shipyard, supported by marine engineers from both B.C. Ferries and the propulsion supplier, will work through the night to accomplish the work. The vessel is expected to be re-floated tomorrow night with sea trials conducted enroute to Swartz Bay," the statement read. 

Who maintains the ships?

B.C. Ferries vessels are maintained by a combination of internal resources and external resources like shipyards and specialist contractors.

Four shipyards support the fleet: Vancouver Drydock (Seaspan), Victoria Shipyards (Seaspan), Point Hope Maritime and Allied Shipbuilders. 

Across B.C., there are only three shipyards in two facilities that can accommodate B.C. Ferries' largest vessels: one in Vancouver and another in Victoria. B.C. Ferries is dependent on those shipyards for repairs needed to be done in a dry dock.

How often are routine maintenance checks done?

B.C. Ferries vessels must follow a strict maintenance scheduled set out by Transport Canada.

Routine maintenance is undertaken by marine engineers, and is often carried out overnight. 

Between 20 and 26 vessels must complete refits — planned maintenance events — every year. Half of those vessels must be taken out of water, or to dry dock, to complete the work. 

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How is staffing impacting sailing schedules?

Besides ongoing issues with critical vessels, B.C. Ferries says staff shortages combined with record-high demand from travellers is making for turbulent travel conditions.

B.C. Ferries vessels are only able to sail with a set number of licensed and trained crew, in accordance with a regulation set by Transport Canada.

Johnston said the ferries have hired around 1,200 employees over the past 12 months to avoid the kind of critical staff shortages that lead to cancellations — but they are still running into issues with backfilling staff.

"While we have a number of these key positions filled, what we don't have enough of is the backup crew. So if somebody has a family emergency, sometimes it can be difficult to find that fill-in crew and therefore the run has to be cancelled," she said.

Like many industries that rely on a workforce certified to operate at sea, B.C. Ferries says it is also being severely impacted by an international shortage of around 21,000 mariners.

B.C. Ferries says it is currently focused on retention and training and is working directly with post-secondary institutions to up recruitment.

Why does the website say there are no reservations available?

On July 20, some customers logged on to the B.C. Ferries website to find that bookings were closed entirely.

B.C. Ferries later confirmed that new reservations were being blocked for some sailings as they worked to rearrange cancelled reservations onto different sailings for the same day.

There was further confusion with the reservation system just days later when the website indicated a wait time of 12 hours to get a drive-up vehicle spot on the busy Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route. But customers who showed up at the terminal experienced only a one- to two-sailing wait.

B.C. Ferries later issued an apology, saying information on the website was inaccurate. It encouraged customers to check the company's Twitter page or call customer service directly for the most up-to-date information.

What percentage of sailings is set aside for reservations, and why?

B.C. Ferries said spots reserved for reservations varies route to route, and vessel by vessel — with detailed formulas available on their website.

"During our busiest times, we reduce the bookable space on some sailings to 50 per cent or less. These sailings tend to have more customers who drive up, and this helps to reduce congestion and sailing waits," they said in the statement. 

"We work to find a balance between the needs of customers who prefer to drive up with those who like to book in advance."

What about travel for medical appointments?

B.C. Ferries offers free reservations and travel for patients travelling to and from medical specialist appointments as part of the provincial government's Travel Assistance Program (TAP).

The Medical Assured Loading (MAL) program is also available for those with a letter from their medical practitioner saying it's necessary for them to avoid a long wait at the terminal.

How can I ensure I get on a sailing?

The advice from B.C. Ferries has remained the same: make a reservation when you can and show up early.

If you are travelling last minute during a popular time, it's recommended to travel as a foot passenger. 

The unofficial advice? Pack snacks, a book and sunscreen for hot days at the terminal — and bring your patience.

Can I get a refund?

You are entitled to a refund in the event of a cancellation or major service disruption. For example, if your sailing is cancelled after you check-in, and you decide not to travel, your fares and any reservation fees will be automatically refunded to your original form of payment (but don't forget to return to the ticket booth to "check out" of the terminal.)

However, B.C. Ferries is currently warning that because of a higher-than-usual volume of refund requests, the processing time to get your money back could take much longer than usual.

"Our normal response time is between 7–14 days, but currently, it may take 4–6 weeks. To improve our response time, we are hiring additional staff and working on process improvements," it said in a statement on its website.

Are there other options?

If you can't get on a ferry, you can travel to and from various destinations by plane.

Gulf Island Seaplanes, Harbour Air Seaplanes and Seair provide quick, scenic trips to and from a number of locations across B.C., although the cost of a ticket will be much higher than travelling by ferry.

A new foot-passenger ferry service is also scheduled to launch in late summer between Nanaimo and downtown Vancouver.

The ferry line, called Hullo, is being operated by the Vancouver Island Ferry Company and is set to launch with two high-speed catamaran vessels, each with a capacity of 354 passengers.

There are set to be up to seven round-trip sailings daily between downtown Nanaimo and downtown Vancouver, each lasting around 70 minutes each.