Less than 24 hours after the Queen of Surrey suffered a mechanical issue and had to be pulled to shore by a tugboat, the other vessel serving BC Ferries’ route between the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast was also out of commission Saturday morning. The Queen of Coquitlam was scheduled to make the 8:40 a.m. voyage from Langdale to Horseshoe Bay, but a problem with the clutch prevented it from departing on time. In a service notice issued at 9:10 a.m., BC Ferries said the vessel was “holding in dock due to a mechanical difficulty.” “We are working to fix this and will keep you informed as more information becomes available,” the notice reads. “As soon as the problem is resolved, the vessel will resume service.” Shortly before 10 a.m., the ferry service said the Queen of Coquitlam had been repaired and would depart approximately an hour and 40 minutes behind schedule. The 9:50 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. sailings departing Horseshoe Bay and the 11 a.m. departing Langdale will also be delayed, according to BC Ferries. Travellers with reservations on the delayed sailings should still arrive at the terminal during the check-in window noted on their booking confirmations, BC Ferries said. “This ensures we can stage your vehicle at the terminal ahead of standby customers and those reserved on later sailings,” the ferry service said. The trouble with the Queen of Coquitlam comes after the Queen of Surrey had to be towed to the Horseshoe Bay terminal after its propeller shaft stopped working properly in the middle of a sailing Friday evening. The rest of the vessel’s Friday sailings were cancelled, as were the 7:40 a.m. and 10 a.m. trips departing Langdale and the 8:50 a.m. sailing departing Horseshoe Bay Saturday morning. “Customers with bookings on these sailings will be contacted by our customer service centre team to advise if we can accommodate your booking on an alternate sailing, or if your booking must be cancelled,” reads a separate service notice regarding the Queen of Surrey. “In the case of a cancellation, we will refund your fees and/or fares.” BC Ferries said the Queen of Surrey would be conducting “required sea trials” Saturday morning and would resume sailing once it receives approval from Transport Canada to do so. Three other sailings—departing Horseshoe Bay at 11:10 a.m. and 1:20 p.m. and departing Langdale at 12:15 p.m.—were at risk of cancellation Saturday, according to BC Ferries. Built in 1981, the Queen of Surrey is 45 years old. The Queen of Coquitlam is even older. Constructed in 1976, it turns 50 this year.
