The Spirit of British Columbia experienced a cooling system issue that required immediate attention on Tuesday morning on the Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen route.
A cracked pipe in one of the coolers led to the shutdown of one of four main engines, delaying departure from Tsawwassen by about 24 minutes, said B.C. Ferries spokesperson Sheila Reynolds.
When the ferry was about 10 to 15 minutes off Swartz Bay, the vessel paused briefly in a safe area to bring the engine back online, then docked at Swartz Bay, about 43 minutes behind schedule.
The ferry continued operating on all four main engines through the day, Reynolds said.
Sailings of the vessel have been running behind schedule as a result of the earlier delay.
A said passengers should expect delays on the 5 and 9 p.m. sailings from Swartz Bay and the 7 p.m. departure from Tsawwassen.
“We know delays can be frustrating, and we truly appreciate the patience of our passengers while we worked through this,” Reynolds said.
“Safety is always our top priority, and we’re so grateful for our crew’s expertise and ability to resolve the issue efficiently to keep everyone moving.”
