Damaged B.C. ferry returning for long weekend

The BC Ferries vessel Coastal Celebration will be back in service in time for the long weekend but only as a single-ended vessel, meaning vehicles will have to do a U-turn onboard.

The vessel was damaged during a hard landing at Swartz Bay earlier this month, and still needs repairs to its bow doors. The damaged dock was repaired last week.

BC Ferries said the vessel will be used over the Victoria Day Long weekend on the Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen route, but only the stern door will be used. That means cars will have to turn around by doing a U-turn on board either during loading or unloading. 

A similar U-turn procedure is regularly used on other BC Ferries that normally operated single-ended. Spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said BC Ferries does not expect the temporary loading pattern will cause any delays.

"The ship will be taking fewer cars than it normally does so we wouldn't expect any extra time it is going to take to load and unload to affect the schedule. Also the vessel can be operated at a higher speed so if we did become behind schedule we can make that up during the crossing," she said.

Large and commercial vehicles over 2.13 metres high or 2.7 metres wide will have to use one of the other ferries servicing the route.

Repairs to the ship will be made after the long weekend when new parts arrive from the supplier. The vessel is expected to be back in regular operation by mid-June, said BC Ferries.

The 160 metre-long vessel was damaged when it pulled out of the dock at Swartz Bay, then reversed and hit the dock hard. B.C. Ferries said the vessel had only pulled away by six metres when it reversed.

An investigation is ongoing, but the crash was likely a mistake made by someone on the bridge, B.C. Ferries said Tuesday.