BC Ferries to spend 57 million dollars on fleet support work during refit cycle for 2018-19

BC Ferries Northern Adventure is one of a number of vessels
currently in refit in preparation for the 2019 sailing season

The off season is the period of time when BC Ferries takes advantage of lower passenger levels to provide for necessary upgrades to its fleet of vessels both North and South, and for this current refit cycle some 57 million dollars will be spent with a range of marine service suppliers to provide support for the fleet.

In addition to their own shipyard in Richmond, the Ferry Service also provides work for a number of other British Columbia shipyards, with over 1 billion spent over the last ten years with the replacement program that has seen new 10 ships arrive, or through refit and repairs for those still in their mid to end of service years.

“We’re serious about driving the BC marine economy, and the investment we make in the province for marine services, repair and maintenance is quite substantial,”  ... “The $57 million will be spent on 17 vessels between September 2018 and March 2019, including contracts with Vancouver Drydock, Esquimalt Drydock and Point Hope Shipyard in Victoria as well as at our own Fleet Maintenance Unit.” -- Mark Collins, BC Ferries' President and CFEO

For the North Coast the off season finds the Northern Adventure undergoing its annual refit, with the vessel set to return to service in the Spring on the North Coast and Haida Gwaii runs.

The Northern Adventure was take out of service earlier this fall, following a short temporary service for the Central Coast-Vancouver Island run providing a short indication of a new service to come to the region in 2019.

The Northern Sea Wolf during its recent refit, after a delay of one season
it will enter service in the Spring

That service will be taken over by the Northern Sea Wolf in the Spring. The vessel which has seen a complete overhaul since it was purchased out of Greece by the Ferry Corporation will provide service on the Central Coast route from Port Hardy to Bella Coola, Ocean Falls and Bella Bella. It enters service one year later than had originally been anticipated.

You can learn more about the contribution of the Ferry Service to the BC economy here.

For a look at more notes related to BC Ferries on the North Coast and Haida Gwaii see our archive page here.