Two new Island-class ferries start their duties on April 12, when they begin sharing the Nanaimo-Gabriola Island route.
The Island Kwigwis and Island Gwawis will serve that route, replacing the 40-year old MV Quinsam.
One of the ferries will provide 18 hours of service daily, running on departure times similar to what is currently in place, B.C. Ferries said Wednesday. The other will run during the busiest 12 hours of the day, doubling the number of sailings between 6:20 a.m. and 5:05 p.m.
The non-stop trip to Gabriola, home to more than 4,000 people, takes 20 minutes.
New sailing schedules were designed with community input and in consultation with the Gabriola Island ferry advisory committee. A public engagement process was carried out in March and April of last year.
Upcoming sailing schedules will be posted on B.C. Ferries’ website soon, the organization said.
Community members were keen to see morning sailings departing Gabriola to allow students and workers to reach their destinations on time. As a result, a 7:05 a.m. sailing is being added, B.C. Ferries said.
Island residents also sought an easier way to load and unload foot passengers from a ferry and a new pedestrian walkway has been built at the Nanaimo terminal.
Other identical Island class ferries may also service the route. Six were built by Damen Shipyards, headquartered in the Netherlands, at its Romanian shipyard.
The Island Kwigwis and Island Gwawis are the fifth and sixth Island-class ferries to be delivered in B.C.
Each Island-class ferry has room for up to 47 vehicles and up to 450 passengers and crew.
