B.C. Ferries is advising customers travelling between Denman Island and Buckley Bay that the last two round trips on Saturday have been cancelled because of a crew shortage.
The last connecting sailing for passengers travelling from Hornby Island to Denman Island will be 5 p.m. The last sailing departing Denman Island to Buckley Bay will be at 5:40 pm.
The cancelled sailings are the 7:10 p.m. departing Denman Island, 8:05 p.m. departing Buckley Bay, 9:10 p.m. departing Denman Island and 9:30 p.m. departing Buckley Bay
B.C. Ferries said the cancellations are due to a crewing issue. The ferry corporation requires a specific number of crew members on board the vessel to ensure the safety of passengers in the unlikely event of an emergency and to comply with Transport Canada regulations.
The vessel used on the Denman Island to Buckley Bay route is the Baynes Sound Connector, the corporation’s first and only saltwater cable ferry. With a cable length of almost two kilometres, it is the world’s longest cable ferry route.
Built at the Seaspan Shipyards in Vancouver, the vessel can carry 45 cars and up to 200 passengers and crew. It takes 10 minutes to make the crossing at a normal service speed of 7.5 knots.
The 78.5-metre vessel entered service in 2016, making more than 10,200 sailings and carrying close to 250,000 vehicles in its first year.
parrais@timescolonist.com
