The MV Tenaka, a B.C. Ferries vessel previously used on the Quadra Island-Cortes Island route, will soon be setting sail to and from the Alberni Inlet under new ownership. B.C. Ferries has sold the 52-year-old vessel to Port Alberni-based Lady Rose Marine Services, the ferry corporation announced Monday.
It said the price could not be disclosed, since two other ferries that will soon be retired are also being offered for sale through a competitive bid process.
“When retiring vessels from our fleet, our first preference is always to find a buyer who will use the ship for continued commercial operation, so we are pleased that the MV Tenaka will continue to operate right here in British Columbia,” said Mark Wilson, B.C. Ferries’ vice-president of engineering.
Built in 1964 at Victoria Machinery Depot, the 43-metre ship has room for 24 vehicles and 100 passengers and crew.
It last sailed as part of the B.C. Ferries fleet in December 2014, and chiefly serviced the Quadra Island-Cortes Island route.
Lady Rose Marine Services will take possession of the vessel in mid-May. Plans call for the ship to go into drydock and undergo maintenance before returning to service by the end of the year.
It will carry both passengers and freight for the company, which has provided service from Alberni Inlet to Bamfield and Ucluelet for more than 70 years, said owner Mike Surrell.
