MV Spirit of Vancouver Island

Spirit of Vancouver Island is an S-class ferry, part of the BC Ferries fleet. Along with MV Spirit of British Columbia, it is the largest in the BC Ferries fleet. The ship was completed in 1994 and serves the Swartz Bay – Tsawwassen route. In 2018, Spirit of Vancouver Island began a mid-life refit in Poland, where it was converted to a dual-fuel system to allow liquefied natural gas propulsion. The vessel returned to service in 2019.

Spirit of Vancouver Island
History
Canada
NameSpirit of Vancouver Island
OwnerBritish Columbia Ferry Services Inc.
OperatorBritish Columbia Ferry Services Inc.
Port of registryVictoria, British Columbia
RouteSwartz Bay – Tsawwassen
BuilderIntegrated Ferry, Esquimalt
Yard number560
CompletedFebruary 1994
HomeportSwartz Bay
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics as built
Class and typeS-class ferry
Tonnage
Length
  • 167.5 m (549 ft 6 in) oa
  • 156.0 m (511 ft 10 in) pp
Beam32.9 m (107 ft 11 in)
Installed power21,394 hp (15,954 kW)
Propulsion4 × Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel engines
Speed19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph)
Capacity
  • 2,100 passengers & crew
  • 358 cars

Description

Spirit of Vancouver Island is an S-class roll-on/roll-off ferry that is 167.5 m (549 ft 6 in) long overall and 156.0 m (511 ft 10 in) between perpendiculars with a beam of 32.9 m (107 ft 11 in).[1] The vessel has a displacement of 11,681 tonnes (11,497 long tons; 12,876 short tons),[2] an initial 18,747 gross tonnage (GT) and 2,925 tons deadweight (DWT).[1] The gross tonnage later increased to 21,935 as of 2018.[3]

The vessel was initially powered by four MAN 6L40/54[4] diesel engines driving two shafts creating 21,394 horsepower (15,954 kW).[1][2] Spirit of Vancouver Island has a maximum speed of 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph). In 2018, the ferry began a mid-life refit that involved changing the propulsion system to a dual-fuel system comprising four Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel engines which allows the ship to use either marine diesel oil or liquefied natural gas to power the ship.[5] Further changes include navigation and propulsion equipment, steering and evacuation systems, lighting and air conditioning. Passenger areas were upgraded including the lounges, bathrooms and retail areas.[6][7]

The ferry has capacity for 2,100 passengers and crew and 358 automobiles. The ferry is equipped with lounges and cafes.[2]

Service history

Spirit of Vancouver Island was constructed in two parts in British Columbia. The ferry's forepart was built by Allied Shipbuilders of North Vancouver with the yard number 255. The rest of the ship was constructed by Integrated Ferry of Esquimalt, British Columbia with the yard number 560. The two sections were joined and the vessel was completed in February 1994.[1] Owned and operated by British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., Spirit of Vancouver was assigned to the Swartz Bay – Tsawwassen route.[2]

On September 14, 2000, Spirit of Vancouver Island collided with the 9.72-metre (31.9 ft) Star Ruby while attempting to overtake the vessel in a narrow channel. The collision occurred approximately 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) from the Swartz Bay Terminal where the ferry had departed from. Spirit of Vancouver Island struck Star Ruby on its port side, causing the pleasure craft to flip over and eventually right itself, though swamped and heavily damaged. According to the accident report, the pleasure craft ignored all warning blasts from the approaching ferry and then made a sharp turn towards the ferry just prior to impact. Two passengers aboard Star Ruby later died as a result of their injuries sustained by the collision.[4] On July 13, 2003, Spirit of Vancouver Island collided with the dock at Swartz Bay. Four passengers suffered minor injuries. The incident caused tens of thousands of dollars of damage to the dock and the ship.[8]

From 2005 to 2006, the S-class ferries underwent major refits.[9] On October 9, 2009, a standby generator on Spirit of Vancouver Island caught fire on an early-morning sailing out of Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. No one was injured in the incident; however, it did cause significant delays in the ferry system because of the already large volume of traffic for Thanksgiving weekend.[9]

On August 27, 2017, the ferry rescued six people off Mayne Island.[10] In March 2018, Spirit of Vancouver Island was temporarily withdrawn from service after a serious mechanical issue with its portside propeller.[11] On August 31, 2018, two workers were injured during an early morning fire drill when a ship's davit malfunctioned, causing the rescue boat they were in to flip, sending the workers into the water. Four sailings were cancelled as a result.[12] On September 14, 2018, Spirit of Vancouver Island sailed for Remontowa Ship Repair Yard in Gdańsk, Poland, to undergo conversion to a dual-fuel system.[13] With the refit work completed by January 2019, the ferry departed Poland on February 2 and returned to British Columbia on April 2.[14]

In April 2020, the vessel collided with the dock at Tsawwassen terminal. Two passengers and a crew member were injured in the collision. The Transportation Safety Board investigation found that the ship failed to respond to the crew's commands when they attempted to avoid the collision.[15]

In September 2021, Spirit of Vancouver Island had an issue with the starboard gearbox. Repair is ongoing and could last until the end of October.[16]

References
  1. "Spirit of Vancouver Island (9030682)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  2. "Spirit of Vancouver Island". British Columbia Ferry Services. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  3. "Spirit of Vancouver Island (9030682)". Equasis. French Ministry for Transport. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  4. "Marine Investigation Report M00W0220: Collision Between Passenger/Vehicle Ferry Spirit of Vancouver Island and Pleasure Craft Star Ruby Colburne Passage, British Columbia 14 September 2000" (PDF). Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  5. "Wartsila tech ordered for BC Ferries vessels LNG conversion". LNG World News. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  6. Wilson, Carla (7 September 2017). "B.C.-built Spirit ferry going to Poland for refit, dual-fuel conversion". Victoria Times Colonist. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  7. Chan, Kenneth (5 June 2018). "BC Ferries' Spirit of British Columbia vessel returns to service after upgrade in Poland". dailyhive.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  8. Atkinson, Cathryn (September 7, 2007). "Missing pin blamed in ferry crash". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  9. "Ferry fire disrupts Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay trips". CBC News. 10 October 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  10. Kolsut, Julian (27 August 2017). "BC Ferries vessel rescues six off Mayne Island". CHEK News. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  11. Slattery, Jill (24 March 2017). "BC Ferries pulls Spirit of Vancouver Island over mechanical issue, sailings cancelled". Global News. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  12. Judd, Amy (31 August 2018). "BC Ferries workers fall into water during rescue drill, leads to cancellations on major route". rock101.ca. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  13. "Spirit of Vancouver Island Mid-Life Upgrade". British Columbia Ferry Services. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  14. Wilson, Carla (2 April 2019). "Spirit of Vancouver Island ferry returns from Poland, refit with LNG". Times Colonist. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  15. "B.C. ferry didn't respond to crew's efforts to prevent crash, safety board investigation finds". CBC News. The Canadian Press. February 11, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  16. "Ferry sidelined for repair ahead of busy weekend". Times Colonist. October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
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