The Salish Heron has a weight problem. It’s so severe that B.C. Ferries is considering swapping it out for another ferry that would be better able to carry vehicles.
Early Thursday afternoon, passengers at Swartz Bay heading for Pender Island were shocked to see the ferry sailing away without them after loading commercial trucks, especially since they could see empty deck space.
Tara Hodgins of Pender Island said she endured a four-hour wait at the terminal for the next sailing, which wasn’t until 6:40 p.m.
“So we sat in our car in the pouring rain all afternoon. And they really did not offer anyone a proper explanation.”
On Friday, B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Astrid Chang said that a high number of heavy commercial vehicles were loaded onto the Salish Heron and the vessel reached its weight limit before the deck area was fully used, resulting in customers in vehicles being left at the terminal.
“We sincerely apologize to our customers who couldn’t travel on their desired sailing,” said Chang, adding the crew is managing how much water and fuel is carried onboard to help manage weight limits.
The Salish Heron, which serves the southern Gulf Islands, runs on liquefied natural gas.
It’s not the first time the Salish Heron has reached its weight limit before the decks are filled, Chang said.
B.C. Ferries is in touch with the southern Gulf Islands ferry advisory committee about the issue, and is considering swapping the ferry with another vessel better able to handle high volumes of commercial traffic, she said.
In the meantime, “B.C. Ferries will be actively managing the loading of heavy vehicles to ensure the least impact to customers,” she said.
The Salish Heron was the final Salish-class vessel built in Gdansk, Poland, for B.C. Ferries. When it arrived in B.C. this year, it weighed more than its sister ships due to the impact of various change orders requested through the build process, Chang said.
B.C. Ferries spent $292 million on the four Salish-class ferries. They are 351 feet long and can carry 600 passengers and crew and 138 vehicles.
