The CAD15 million ferry will operate between Buckley Bay on Vancouver Island and Denman Island, Canada
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Canadian operator BC Ferries is to take delivery of its new CAD15 million cable ferry from Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards in late May.
Currently in the final outfitting stages, the 78.5m cable ferry will accommodate up to 50 vehicles and 150 passengers when she begins sailing on Baynes Sound between Buckley Bay on Vancouver Island and Denman Island, Canada, this summer.
“The cable ferry project is on scope and on budget with the expenditures approved by the BC Ferries Commissioner and we look forward to receiving a well-built vessel very soon that will safely carry millions of customers well into the future,” said Mark Wilson, BC Ferries’ vice president of engineering.
Ruskin Construction and Vancouver Pile Driving have constructed new berths at both Buckley Bay and Denman Island to accommodate the cable ferry system, which will be the longest in the world. The two companies completed marine structures and upland construction in early 2015 to enable vehicles to be loaded and unloaded on each side of the water.
Three cables will be fitted and tested in late April, before they are attached to the ferry in late May. Once attached, the newbuild will undergo rigorous sea trials and cable change outs to ensure the system meets all operational and safety requirements. She will also be certified by both Transport Canada and international classification society Lloyd’s Register.
In addition, BC Ferries’ crews will undergo extensive training in June and July before the ferry welcomes her first passengers.
“The cable ferry will provide the same level of safe and reliable service that our Denman and Hornby Island customers have come to expect, while realising substantial cost savings of more than CAD80 million over the 40-year life of the project compared to the current traditional ferry service,” said Wilson.
The cable ferry is the first of four newbuilds that are due to join the BC Ferries fleet between 2015 and summer 2017. BC Ferries has also contracted Remontowa Shipyards in Poland to construct three dual-fuel, intermediate-class ferries, which will debut on the Comox – Powell River route and the Tsawwassen – Southern Gulf Islands route in August 2016, October 2016 and February 2017, respectively. Remontowa cut the first piece of steel for the first intermediate-class ferry this January and started work on the second ferry on 10 April.