People travelling by vehicle hoping to ride on B.C. Ferries between Vancouver Island and the B.C. mainland faced multiple-sailing waits on Monday.
As of late morning, all sailings between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen were full until 6 p.m. for travellers without vehicle reservations — a six-sailing wait.
By 6 p.m., there was no room left on the remaining four sailings out of Swartz Bay, and limited space on the 9 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen.
It was a similar situation for ferries between Nanaimo and the mainland: Sailings on both the Duke Point-Tsawwassen and Departure Bay-Horseshoe Bay routes sold out, with non-reserved customers facing multiple-sailing waits.
Mondays and Thursdays have been especially busy during the summer since they are just before and just after weekends, said B.C. Ferries spokesperson Jeff Groot.
“Even on regular weekends, not even on long weekends, Thursdays are getting busier,” he said.
Groot said 2024 is shaping up to be another record-setting year for total passengers on B.C. Ferries, adding that planned new vessels will have “significantly more capacity” than those in service now.
