A windstorm overnight forced 21 B.C. Ferries passengers to spend seven hours aboard a ferry travelling from Duke Point to Tsawwassen.
The Queen of New Westminster left Nanaimo at 11:45 p.m. Wednesday, an hour behind schedule, but high winds made it impossible to safely dock at Tsawwassen until 6:45 a.m. Thursday.
The strong winds were expected to die down before the ferry reached Tsawwassen terminal, said B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall.
“Weather forecasting is not an exact science and, unfortunately, in this situation it didn’t abate as was predicted,” Marshall said. “The captain did make an attempt to dock, but it was too windy, so they aborted the landing and held off until the wind died down.”
Marshall said making a landing in heavy winds could cause damage to the boat, the docking point or injury to passengers or staff.
The 21 passengers on board were given complimentary meals and drinks.
Some people slept, either in their cars or in the lounge area, Marshall said.
A delay of seven hours is quite rare, she said. “It’s obviously an inconvenience for customers but I think they understand.”
On Oct. 14, during a major storm, a B.C. Ferries vessel was forced to hold off Tsawwassen for about an hour, a bumpy ride that left some passengers seasick. B.C. Ferries was criticized for cancelling 17 sailings the following day in anticipation of continued severe weather that never materialized.
Severe weather led to further cancellations Thursday morning. The 7:45 a.m. sailing from Duke Point to Tsawwassen was cancelled, while the 7:45 a.m. sailing from Tsawwassen to Duke Point was almost an hour behind schedule.
The storm knocked out power to thousands in the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island. At the storm’s peak, as many as 9,000 along the B.C. coast were without power.
— With files from the Vancouver Sun
