QUEEN OF NEW WEST

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Ferry returned to pprt due to medical emergency

A medical emergency on the 'Queen of Westminster' has resulted in sailing delays on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route early on June 25. A passenger required immediate medical attention and the vessel had to return to Tsawwassen to allow immediate medical treatment ashore. This resulted in the 6 a.m. sailing of the ferry from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay being delayed and pushed the 10 a.m. sailing 73 minutes behind schedule. The 12 p.m. departure from Swartz Bay, the 2 p.m. departure from Tsawwassen, and the 4 p.m. departure from Swartz Bay were also delayed, Travellers were advised to check the BC Ferries website for updates.

Propulsion repairs completed

BC Ferries returned the 'Queen of New Westminster' back in its operational fleet on March 14, 2025,, just in time for the spring peak travel season. The vessel, which servestheroute between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay, had been out of service for nearly 200 days due to extensive repairs and scheduled maintenance. It had been pulled from service in September after experiencing a significant failure in its propulsion system, where structural fatigue caused the propeller shaft to detach. The extensive repairs included the replacement of both propeller shafts on the vessel, additional rudder system fixes, hull repairs and protective coating applications, totaling to $5.5 million in addition to the scheduled refit expenses, resulted in roughly $8.5 million in lost revenue from the ship being out of service.

Ferry suffered engine trouble

A problem with the engine of the 'Queen of New Westminster' has prompted the cancellation of nearly 30 scheduled sailings on the Swartz Bay - Tsawwassen route between Sep 4 and Sep 8. The mechanical difficulty was discovered on Sep 3 on the 6 a.m. sailing to Vancouver Island, and the vessel was returned to Vancouver for repairs. As a result, initially seven scheduled sailings were called off. On the evening, BC Ferries announced further cancellations starting Sep 4. Other sailings on this route were expected to proceed as scheduled.