BC Ferries' first LNG ferry to arrive in January 2017 after departing Remontowa yard
By
Rebecca Gibson |
BC Ferries’ first LNG-powered ferry is set to arrive at her new homeport in British Columbia in January 2017.
Salish Orca, the first of three new Salish Class ferries, departed the Remontowa yard in Gdansk, Poland on 22 November to start her 10,440 nautical mile journey to Canada. Expected to take around 45 to 55 days, depending on weather, the voyage will include refuelling stops in Santa Cruz, Canary Islands and Panama City, Panama. The vessel will also transit the Panama Canal and sail up the west coast of North America to British Columbia. Some of BC Ferries’ crew members will sail onboard the vessel for various stages of the voyages to complete training and familiarisation exercises.
BC Ferries will officially take ownership of Salish Orca following a final inspection when the ferry arrives in British Columbia. Salish Orca will start service on the Powell River and Comox River in spring 2017.
“This is an exciting day for BC Ferries as our newest ship, Salish Orca, is one step closer to joining our fleet,” said Mike Corrigan, BC Ferries’ president and CEO. “We look forward to introducing a new ship into service for our passengers on the Northern Sunshine Coast, which will improve reliability and customer service for years to come.”