The Salish Eagle, the second of B.C. Ferries’ three new Salish Class vessels to be built in Poland, arrived at Victoria Ogden Point about 9 a.m. Monday, said B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall.
It left Gdansk, Poland, on Feb. 11 and arrived ahead of schedule after a 10,440-nautical-mile, 38-day journey. After the Salish Eagle has cleared customs and had final inspections, plans are for it to leave Ogden Point about 3 a.m. Tuesday for B.C. Ferries' Richmond refit facility.
The vessel, fueled by natural gas, will undergo crew training before it is put in service in the southern Gulf Islands this summer.
Artwork that will adorn the Salish Eagle was designed by Stz'uminus First Nation's John Marston; it will be applied on the ferry now that it is in B.C.
Salish class vessels are 107 metres long and can each carry 145 vehicles and 600 passengers. They will cost a total of about $200 million to build.
The Salish Orca arrived in B.C. in January after a 50-day journey from Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. in Gdansk.
It is scheduled to be in operation by early spring on the Powell River-Comox route.
