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List of BC Ferries ships

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View of Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal (British Columbia, Canada) for BC Ferries

BC Ferries has the largest fleet of vehicle ferry vessels in the world. There are at least 45 vessels, ranging from small passenger-only water taxis, up to the 358-car Spirit-class ferries. All of the vessels in use by BC Ferries are roll-on/roll-off car ferries. Most of the major vessels are based on similar designs, which are aggregated into classes of ferries.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Current vessels

[edit]
Photo Name Class Year built
(Rebuilt)		 Auto capacity Passenger capacity Notes Route(s)
Island Gwawis Island 2021 47 300 Hybrid diesel-electric; Entered service on April 12, 2022 19
Island Kwigwis Island 2021 47 300 Hybrid diesel-electric; Entered service on April 12, 2022 19
Island K'ulut'a Island 2020 47 300 Hybrid diesel-electric; Entered service on January 17, 2023 23
Island Nagalis Island 2020 47 300 Hybrid diesel-electric; Entered service on January 18, 2023 23
Island Aurora Island 2017–2019 47 300 Hybrid diesel-electric; Entered service on June 18, 2020[1] 25
Island Discovery Island 2017–2019 47 300 Hybrid diesel-electric; Entered service on June 10, 2020 18
Salish Heron Salish 2020 138 600 Entered service on May 6, 2022. 9 (primary)
5, 17 (relief)
1 (relief in exigent circumstances)
Salish Eagle Salish 2016 138 600 Entered service in mid-2017. 5, 9, 9A, 17, 18 (rotating relief vessel)
Salish Raven Salish 2016 138 600 Entered service on July 27, 2017. 9 (primary)
5, 17 (relief)
Salish Orca Salish 2016 138 600 Entered service on May 16, 2017. 17 (primary)
9 (relief)
Baynes Sound Connector None 2015 45 150 First and only cable ferry owned by BC Ferries and world's longest cable ferry. Entered service in February 2016. 21
Northern Expedition None 2009 115 600 Entered service on May 18, 2009. 10 (fall, winter)
11 (summer, fall, winter)
Coastal Celebration Coastal 2007 310 1604 Formerly the world's largest double-ended ferries. Built in Germany. Entered service on November 21, 2008. 1
30 (relief)
Coastal Inspiration Coastal 2007 310 1604 Formerly the world's largest double-ended ferries. Built in Germany. Entered service on June 16, 2008. 30
1 (relief)
Coastal Renaissance Coastal 2007 310 1604 Formerly the world's largest double-ended ferries. Built in Germany. Entered service on March 8, 2008. 2
1 (relief)

30 (relief, extremly rare)

Northern Adventure None 2004 87 600 Purchased in late-2006 to replace the sunken Queen of the North. 10 (spring, summer)
11 (spring)
Northern Sea Wolf None 2000 35 150 Purchased in 2017.[2] 28A (year round)
28 (summer)
Skeena Queen Century 1997 92 600 Entered service in 1997. 4
Spirit of Vancouver Island Spirit 1994 (2018–2019) 358 2100 Converted to marine diesel and LNG in 2018. Entered service in 1994.[3] 1
Spirit of British Columbia Spirit 1993 (2017–2018) 358 2100 Converted to marine diesel and LNG between 2017 and 2018. Entered service in 1992.[4] Formerly, the Queen of Vancouver ran if this ferry was not running. 1
Malaspina Sky I 2008 112 450 Entered service in February 2009. Vessel was formerly known as Island Sky, and was renamed to avoid confusion with the Island-class ferries as part of BC Ferries fleet standardization initiative, on October 24, 2019.[5] 7
Queen of Cumberland I 1992 (2016) 112 462 Entered service in late 1992. 5
4, 7, 8 (relief)
Queen of Capilano I 1991 (2015) 100 462 Auto capacity increased from 85 in 2015. Entered service in June 1991. Was temporarily down for upgrades in 2024. 8
Quinsam Q 1982 (2010) 63 400 Transferred to BC Ferries in 1985. 6
Quinitsa Q 1977 (2008) 44 394 Transferred to BC Ferries in 1985. 22 (summer, relief other times)
6, 19, 21 (relief)
Queen of Oak Bay C 1981 (2005) 308 1494 Entered service in 1981. 2
Queen of Surrey C 1981 (2006) 308 1494 Entered service in 1981. 3 (year round)
2 (fall, winter)
Queen of Coquitlam C 1976 (2003) 316 1494 Entered service in 1976. 2 (spring, relief)
3 (spring, summer/relief)
Queen of Cowichan C 1976 (2004) 312 1494 Entered service in 1976. 2 (year round)
3 (fall, winter)
Queen of Alberni C 1976 (1984/2007) 280 1200 Upper car deck added in 1984. Entered service in 1976. 30 (all other times based out of Tsawwassen as main vessel), (secondary out of Nanaimo in summer, based out of Departure Bay)
2 & 3 (after Labour Day weekend to Canadian Thanksgiving weekend)
Pune'luxutth K 1985 (2006) 26 269 Purchased in 2006. Vessel was formerly known as Kuper, and was renamed in the spirit of reconciliation, on December 1, 2023.[6] 20
Kwuna K 1975 16 154 Transferred to BC Ferries in 1985. 26
Kahloke K 1973 21 200 Transferred to BC Ferries in 1985. 21 (summer)
22 (spring, fall, winter)
12, 20 (relief)
Klitsa K 1972 19 195 Transferred to BC Ferries in 1985. 12
Quadra Queen II T 1969 (2010) 26 293 Transferred to BC Ferries in 1985. relief on routes 24 & 25
Tachek T 1969 (2011) 26 243 Transferred to BC Ferries in 1985. 24
Queen of New Westminster None

(Formerly V)|| 1964 (1973/ 1991/ 2009) ||254|| 1332 || Originally a V-class ferry when built. Entered service on August 4, 1964.

1
30 (If either Queen of Alberni or other Coastal-class vessels are unavailable)
Ferries Used on Unoficial Routes:
Nicola (also known as Spirit of Lax Kw' alaams) N 1960 16 133 Transferred to BC Ferries in 1985
Owned by but not operated by BC Ferries. 		Unnumbered Route (Operated by the Lax Kw'alaams First Nation).
Stormaway III None n/k 0 40 Owned and operated by Kona Winds Yacht Charters Limited, under the sponsorship of and out of the Langdale terminal of BC Ferries, since 2003. 13 (Operated by Kona Winds Yacht Charters Ltd).
Stormaway IV None n/k 0 40 Owned and operated by Kona Winds Yacht Charters Limited, under the sponsorship of and out of the Langdale terminal of BC Ferries, since 2010. 13 (Operated by Kona Winds Yacht Charters Ltd).
Centurion VII None 1985 0 60 Owned and operated by Western Pacific Marine, under the sponsorship of BC Ferries, and out of Western Pacific Marine's French Creek Terminal, since 2011. 55 (Operated by Pacific Western Marine Ltd).
Spirit of Yalis None n/k 0 n/k Owned and operated by Western Pacific Marine, as a water taxi/school trip ferry, under the sponsorship of Ferries. 25u (Operated by Western Pacific Marine Ltd).
Uchuck III None 1942 0 100 Owned and operated by Get West Adventure Cruises, under the sponsorship of Ferries. 53 (Operated by Get West Adventure Cruises).
Frances Barkley None 1958 0 200 Owned and operated by Lady Rose Marine Services, under the sponsorship of Ferries. 59 (Operated by Lady Rose Marine Services).
Tsimshian Storm None n/k 0 n/k Owned by the communities of Kitkatla, Hartley Bay, and Metlakatla. Operated by the Gitxaala First Nation, under the sponsorship of BC Ferries. 60 (Operated by the Gitxaala First Nation).
Various vessels None n/k 0 n/k Operated by various water taxis, under the sponsorship of BC Ferries. 51 (Operated by various water taxis).
Various vessels None n/k 0 11-100 Operated by West Coast Launch, under the sponsorship of BC Ferries. 54 (Operated by West Coast Launch).

Former vessels

[edit]

Since the 1960s, BC Ferries has retired the following ferries:[7]

Photo Name Class Built (rebuilt) Years in service Auto capacity Passenger capacity Notes Refs
MV Quillayute None 1927 1961-1963 35 600 Acquired in Black Ball purchase [8]
SS Smokwa None 1946 1961-1966 46 473 Acquired in Black Ball purchase; named Scotian when built [9]
MV Jervis Queen None 1928 1961-1966 45 600 Acquired in Black Ball purchase, formerly named Bainbridge [10]
MV George S. Pearson None 1925 1961-1966 18 134 Acquired in Gulf Island Ferry Company purchase, previously named Fox Island and Wollochet [11]
MV Cy Peck None 1913 (1930) 1961-1966 18 135 Acquired in Gulf Island Ferry Company purchase; formerly named Island Princess and Daily [12]
MV Sunshine Coast Queen None 1952 1967-1976 180+ 973 Originally named Vacationland and later Père Nouvel Sank while being towed for scrap December 3, 1987
MV Sechelt Queen None 1947 1961-1976 83 670 Acquired in Black Ball purchase, originally named Chinook [13]
MV Langdale Queen None 1903 (1919/1926/1952) 1961-1976 80 600 Acquired in Black Ball purchase, formerly named Kahloke, City of Sacramento, and Asbury Park; scrapped in 2009 [14]
MV Dogwood Princess None 1969 1969-1979 0 30
MV Dogwood Princess II None 1979 (1985) 1979-2003 0 38 Received an engine upgrade in 1985
MV Pender Queen None 1923 (1956) 1961-1980 40 250 Acquired in Gulf Island Ferry Company purchase, formerly named Motor Princess. Sunk and scrapped in 2003 [15]
MV Princess of Vancouver Princess class 1955 1985-1987 150 984 Formerly part of the Ministry of Transportation and Highways' saltwater ferry fleet and the Canadian Pacific Railway
MV Queen of the Islands None 1963 1963-1991 40 400 Sold in 1991, permanently moored in Mosquito Creek Marina in North Vancouver since 2009
MV Salt Spring Queen None 1949 1961-1996 36 187 Acquired in Gulf Island Ferry Company purchase, formerly named Delta Princess. Sold and renamed Golden Queen.
MV Vesuvius Queen None 1950 1962-1998 35 184 Originally named Lloyd Jones and sailed on Okanagan Lake, sold to R & G Importadora & Exportadora of the Dominican Republic in 1998 [16]
MV Queen of Sidney Sidney 1960 1960-2000 138 989 First vessel built by BC Ferries, abandoned in 2000
MV Queen of Victoria V 1962 (1970/1981) 1962-2000 286 1360 Stretched in 1970, upper deck added in 1981 to increase capacity; sold to R & G Importadora & Exportadora of the Dominican Republic in 2001 [17]
MV PacifiCat Explorer PacifiCat 1998 1998-2000 235 1000 Video documentary filmed about the ship's construction
MV PacifiCat Discovery PacifiCat 1999 1999-2000 235 1000
MV PacifiCat Voyager PacifiCat 2000 Never 235 1000 Would have entered service in 2000
MV Albert J. Savoie N 1961 1985-2002 16 133 Formerly part of the Ministry of Transportation and Highways' saltwater ferry fleet
MV Garibaldi II N 1964 (1977) 1985-2006 Originally 16, later reduced to 7 133+ Formerly part of the Ministry of Transportation and Highways' saltwater ferry fleet, sold to Harbour Cruises via Woodfibre Pulp Mill in 2006. Listed for sale on Craigslist in 2020.[18]
MV Queen of the North None 1969 1974-2006 115 650 Purchased from Stena Line in 1974; formerly named Queen of Surrey and Stena Danica; sank in Wright Sound on March 22, 2006
MV Queen of Esquimalt V 1963 (1969/1982) 1963-2008 376 1630 Stretched in 1969, upper deck added in 1982 to increase capacity [19]
MV Queen of Tsawwassen Sidney 1960 1960-2008 128 640 [20]
MV Queen of Saanich V 1962 (1972/1982) 1962-2008 360 1672 Stretched in 1972, upper deck added in 1982 to increase capacity
MV Queen of Vancouver V 1962 (1972/1981) 1962-2009 338 1670 Stretched in 1972, upper deck added in 1981 to increase capacity [21]
MV Queen of Prince Rupert None 1965 1965-2009 80 510 Last BC Ferry built at Victoria Machinery Depot
MV Mill Bay None 1956 1969-2011 16 136 Acquired in 1969 purchase of Coast Ferries
MV Queen of Chilliwack None 1978 1991-2015 115 400 Acquired by Goundar Shipping in 2015
MV Tenaka None 1964 1985-2016 24 244 Acquired by Lady Rose Marine Services in 2016
MV Queen of Burnaby Burnaby 1965 (1972) 1965-1994; 2000-2017 168 904 Stretched in 1972 to increase capacity
MV Queen of Nanaimo Burnaby 1964 (1974) 1964-2017 164 1163 Stretched in 1974 to increase capacity
MV Howe Sound Queen None 1964 1971-2019 52 300 Purchased in 1971. Sold at an auction for CA$210,000 in 2019 [22]
MV Nimpkish N 1973 1985-2020 12 95 Transferred to BC Ferries in 1985
MV North Island Princess None 1958 (1971) 1969-1977; 1985-2020 38 150 Acquired in 1969 purchase of Coast Ferries; Transferred to Ministry of Transportation & Highways in 1977 and back to BC Ferries in 1985; currently for sale. [23][24]
MV Bowen Queen Powell River 1965 (1979) 1965-2022 61 400 Stretched in 1979 to increase capacity
MV Mayne Queen Powell River 1965 (1979) 1965-2022 58 400 Stretched in 1979 to increase capacity. Last full day of service on route 5 was November 19, 2022.
MV Powell River Queen Powell River 1965 (1979) 1965-2023 59 408 Stretched in 1979 to increase capacity. Currently for sale.

Planned retirement

[edit]

BC Ferries has plans to retire the Queen of New Westminster as well as the five C-class vessels, starting in 2029. These will be replaced by up to seven of the "New Major Vessel" ships.[25]

Future vessels

[edit]

In 2019, BC started a $200 million program to acquire four hybrid/electric ferries (800 kWh each) to service three routes.[26] As for the remaining seven vessels within the 12-year capital plan, they will all be large ships, which will replace six aging ships and provide one additional vessel to support growth and improve resiliency. Marshall says the first of these new large ships will enter service in 2029.[27]

Photo Name Class Year built
(Rebuilt)		 Auto capacity Passenger capacity Notes Route(s)
All four ships will be identical to the existing Island-class vessels (see above). Island class 2nd Batch Island TBA 47 400 Four BC-built ships which are hybrid electric-powered, with the ability to convert to full-electric propulsion, once shore-based charging technology is available for implementation. These vessels are expected to serve routes connecting Vancouver Island to Saltspring Island, Denman Island to Hornby Island, as well as Quadra Island to Cortes Island. This would also allow for the retirement of the two remaining T-class vessels.[28] 24, 22, 6, and 1 relief vessel
New Major Vessel TBA 2029–2035 ~ 360 ~ 2,100 The New Major Vessel class, introduced on February 26, 2024, will consist of at least seven double-ended ships. As with the Island class vessels, the New Major Vessels will be hybrid electric-powered, with the ability to convert to full-electric propulsion, once shore-based charging technology is available for implementation. These vessels are expected to serve the three major routes connecting Vancouver Island and the lower mainland, and would allow for the retirement of the Queen of New Westminster, as well as the five C-class vessels. The ships were designed in collaboration with LMG Marin, a Norwegian engineering services company.[29] BC Ferries commenced the bidding process to find a shipyard to build the vessels, in November 2023, with the contract expected to be awarded by December 2024[needs update].[30] 1, 2, 3, 30, and 1 relief vessel

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Island Class". BC Ferries. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  2. ^ Thompson, Caitlin (September 1, 2017). "Northern Sea Wolf to sail Bella Coola – Port Hardy in summer 2018". Coast Mountain News. Bella Coola, BC: Black Press Group Ltd. Archived from the original on Sep 25, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  3. ^ "Spirit of Vancouver Island Mid-Life Upgrade | BC Ferries - British Columbia Ferry Services Inc". www.bcferries.com. Archived from the original on Feb 3, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  4. ^ "Sprit of British Columbia Mid-life upgrade". bcferries.com. Archived from the original on Dec 26, 2018. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  5. ^ "Powell River-Earls Cove ferry renamed Malaspina Sky". The Peak. 2019-10-24. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  6. ^ "BC Ferries renames MV Kuper in the spirit of reconciliation". BC Ferries. December 1, 2023.
  7. ^ Hammersmark, John. "Old and Retired Ferries". The Ferry Terminal. Archived from the original on 27 October 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  8. ^ Photos of MV Quillayute. EvergreenFleet.com.
  9. ^ Photos of SS Smokwa (ex-Scotian). EvergreenFleet.com.
  10. ^ Photos of MV Jervis Queen (ex-Bainbridge). EvergreenFleet.com.
  11. ^ Photos of MV George S. Pearson (ex-Fox Island, ex-Wollochet). EvergreenFleet.com.
  12. ^ Photo of MV Cy Peck. EvergreenFleet.com.
  13. ^ Photos of MV Sechelt Queen (ex-Chinoook II, ex Chinook). EvergreenFleet.com.
  14. ^ Photos of MV Langdale Queen (ex-Kahloke, ex-City of Sacramento, ex-Asbury Park). EvergreenFleet.com.
  15. ^ Photo of MV Pender Queen (ex-Motor Princess). EvergreenFleet.com.
  16. ^ MarineLink.com: Sale of the MV Vesuvius Queen
  17. ^ MarineLink.com: Sale of the MV Queen of Victoria
  18. ^ Thuncher, Jennifer. "Former Woodfibre pulp mill ferry for sale". Coast Reporter. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  19. ^ Times Colonist, "Queen of Esquimalt sold to buyer in China", 12 July 2008 Archived 4 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ Photos of MV Queen of Tsawwassen (ex-Tsawwassen). EvergreenFleet.com.
  21. ^ Photos of MV Queen of Vancouver (ex-City of Vancouver). EvergreenFleet.com.
  22. ^ L, Troy; reville. "Final bid for Howe Sound Queen comes in at $210,000". My Campbell River Now. Retrieved 2020-08-30.
  23. ^ Morneau, Ethan (2020-07-19). "BC Ferries' decommissioned North Island Princess on the market for $159,000". My Powell River Now. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  24. ^ Hammersmark, John (October 30, 2006). "North Island Princess - BC Ferries". West Coast Ferries. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  25. ^ "News release - First look at new major vessel concepts". www.bcferries.com. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  26. ^ Sarabia, Luke (February 11, 2020). "As electric boats push off, where does Canada stand?". Electric Autonomy Canada.
  27. ^ Chan, Kenneth (November 24, 2022). "BC Ferries to order 11 new ships over the coming years | Urbanized". Daily Hive. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  28. ^ Wilson, Carla (November 24, 2022). "B.C. Ferries seeking shipyards to build up to four Island-class ferries". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  29. ^ "News release - First look at new major vessel concepts". www.bcferries.com. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  30. ^ Zeidler, Maryse (November 22, 2023). "B.C. Ferries begins bidding process for 7 new hybrid vessels". CBC News. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
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